Belmont Center Reconstruction Begins This Week

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Photo: The sign of the times.

The large electric sign along Concord Avenue near Belmont High School proclaims: “Belmont Center Const,” “Seek Alt. Routes” and “Expect Delays.” 

The warning is the first tangible sign of the beginning of the $2.8 million Belmont Center Reconstruction Project starting this week with prep work for the actual construction to be led by Watertown’s Charles Construction.

This week, April 27, will see the installation of construction signage at various location around the center as well as putting down Digsafe markings, said Glenn Clancy, the director of the Office of Community Service. In addition, reflective and protective devices will also be installed.

On the week of May 4, the center will be surveyed and plans laid out. Large construction work will begin by the start of June. 

It’s expected the reconstruction – which includes the roadway, sidewalks, curbing, signage and lighting – will be completed by November. 

Notices of the construction schedule have been hand delivered to businesses and residents this past Friday. 

‘World’s Worst Mom’ Comes to Belmont Monday to Talk about Raising Free-Range Children

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Photo: Lenore Skenazy
In 2008, Lenore Skenazy gave her nine-year-old son, Izzy, a subway map, a MetroCard, $20, and several quarters, left him in midtown Manhattan and let him ride the New York City subway and a bus home … alone! Then she shared the event in her New York Sun column. You can only guess the reaction; Skenazy was called “crazy,” was accused of child abuse and was soon reported nationwide.
For Skenazy, the incident began a conversation on how parents are “swimming in fear soup” raising their children. While “it’s hard not to worry when all we hear about are the dangers posed by bullies, germs, predators, plastic, and the perils of a non-organic grape,” Skenazy tells parents that there is way to “raise safe, self-reliant children without going nuts with worry.” Her Free-Range Kids is a commonsense approach to parenting in these overprotective times.
Keeping with her philosophy, Skenazy is sponsoring the fifth annual “Take Our Children to the Park…and Leave Them There Day” on May 9.
This “Free Range” method of parenting made the news in December when police and state children welfare official investigated Danielle and Alexander Meitiv for let their two children, 10 and 6, walk a mile home through Silver Spring, Maryland, alone. The outcry against the state’s intervention has actually crossed political line with support from Bill Mahr and Fox News Kennedy.
Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative presents a free talk, “How Did We Get So Afraid For Our Kids; A Hilarious Talk With Free-Range Founder Lenore Skenazy” on Monday, April 27, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School Auditorium.

Sponsored in part by Belmont Savings Bank Foundation.

This Week: Preparing for Town Meeting, Planting Party, Gallery Talk

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Photo: Get your plants started now.

On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen and the Belmont School Committee will be holding a joint meeting at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 26, in Town Hall to discuss the fiscal 2016 budget and review the third quarter of the 2015 budget.
  • The Belmont Housing Authority is holding its annual meeting in Town Hall where it will elect its officers at 5 p.m., on Monday, April 26.
  • The Belmont School Committee holds its scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, where it will plan to address the current budget deficit.
  • The Belmont Planning Board meets at Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, where it will discuss the upcoming Town Meeting.
  • The Board of Selectmen, the School and Warrant committees will come together in a joint meeting to take apart the fiscal year 2016 town and school budgets on Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chenery Middle Schoool. 
  • The Capital Budget Committee will vote on the final budget it will present to Town Meeting on Thursday, April 30, at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.

• She’s back! Music & Movement with Rubi is all about moving to songs; recommended for ages 3 to 5 but 2 year olds are welcome.  There will be two sessions, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 27, in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont Food Collaborative – the people who run the Belmont Farmers Market – is meeting on Monday, April 27, at 7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• 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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• The Beech Street Center is celebrating the arrival of spring with an outdoor’s Planting Program on Tuesday, April 28, at 10 a.m. They will be planting seeds to take home and also have some simple garden crafts; don’t miss this opportunity to connect with nature. All supplies will be provided.

• Be the next Charles Schultz or just someone who will have fun drawing as the Belmont Public Library presents “Learn to Cartoon,” a two-hour workshop on Tuesday starting at 6:30 p.m. See more here. 

 • The monthly meeting of the Belmont Art Association will take place on Tuesday, April 28,
7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont Democratic Town Committee Meeting is meeting on Tuesday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Room in Belmont Town Hall for socializing and to hear State Sen. Mike Barrett  discuss his proposed legislation on climate change.

• Sustainable Belmont is meeting in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. 

• The annual meeting of the Board of Library Trustees will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, in the Assembly Room.

• Photographer and historian Jonathan Hansen will be giving a gallery talk on his show, “Cuba from a Different Angle, An intimate, knowing look at Cuba’s geography, its architecture and the lives of its people” on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Belmont Gallery of Art, located on the third floor of the Homer Building (in the Town Hall complex), 19 Moore St.

• Aneta Braam, Springwell’s registered dietitian, will present a workshop on “Cooking for One,” a cooking demonstration about how to prepare easy, delicious, and healthy meals for one or two people. There will be a taste test of the dishes afterward. The demonstration will take place on Friday, May 1, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center.

On the Market: A Time Tunnel to the Past, That New Townhouse Smell, With a Veiw

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Photo: The interior from the 1960s at 95 Longmeadow Rd. 

A sample of Belmont homes “on the market” ranging from the affordable, the average and the quite expensive.

95 Longmeadow Rd. Large Cape (1960). 3,184 sq.-ft. of livable space: 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. Two-car garage. Just under a half-acre lot. Price: $1,399,000.

What’s special: This house is about as interesting for the interior decorating as for the building that is a great expanded Cape up on Belmont Hill. The photos on the variety of real estate sites are like walking through a time tunnel back to the 1960s. You could comfortably see Don Draper sitting on the couch as Betty Francis asks if he’d like a scotch with his Lucky Strike. From the heavy drapes, the Louis XIV dining room chairs, the over-the-top upholstery, the heavy wood panels (especially in the converted basement), the overriding salmon-pink color scheme, wall-to-wall carpet; it’s a wonderful historic record of what upscale homeowners sought from a half-century ago. If you are interested in the history of interior decor, it’s worth a trip. It’s almost certain the new owners will need to wait a few weeks before moving in so the interior can be updated. 

The first sentence of the sales pitch: “Prominently sited on close to half an acre, this impeccably maintained and expansive home is located in the picturesque Hillcrest section of Belmont Hill.”

23 Russell Terrace #23. Townhouse Condominium (2011). 2,418 sq.-ft. of livable space: 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. One-car space. Lot? Just a small backyard? Price: $869,000.

What’s special: The exterior? Not so special, it’s more bland then boring. The interior on the other hand. This townhouse still has that new construction smell, with hard-wood floors, enough detail so not to overwhelm and a practical kitchen (although it does have granite counter tops – ugh!). It has three floors with some unusual angles in the stairways and rooms with bay bump-outs. There is also a finished attic which means anyone taller than 6 feet tall will be required to bend over a lot. Interesting point: it’s on one of the few cal-de-sacs in Belmont.

The first sentence of the sales pitch: Newly constructed in 2011, this beautiful townhouse offers you style & convenience within walking distance to the commuter rail, shopping and more.

68 Unity Ave. #2. Second-floor condominium (1924, renovated 2005). 1,152 sq.-ft. of livable space: 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. One-car space. Shared one-eighth of an acre. Price: $490,000.

What’s special: To start, you’re blessed to be the top unit. But there’s more then just the location of this town house. It was renovated just about 10 years ago and has kept its airy feel. OK, the kitchen space is a bit narrow but the person who did the renovation did spent a bit of money on the upscale glass cabinets and counter. There is also panel detail, central air, a really nice dining room and two bedrooms. But the real selling point for this condo is the multitude of windows, French doors and your very own porch. Nice way for a young couple or retired pair to spend the after work hours. And for Belmont, a great price. 

The first sentence of the sales pitch: Peaceful, clean lines, flooded with natural light, move in ready-just what you are looking for.

Belmont Yard Sales on April 25-26

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Photo:

• Rummage sale, Plymouth Church, 582 Pleasant St.(Rt. 60), Saturday, April 25, 9 p.m. to 2 p.m.

• 25 Aberdeen Ave., Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 22 Brettwood Rd., Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 51 Slade St., Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Indoors

• 37 Stewart Terrace, Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Estate sale.

‘This Weekend’: American String Quartets, Rummage Sale, Taking on Homelessness

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Photo: The Arneis Quartet (photo by Eugenia Chung)

• The Arneis Quartet will perform Anton Dvorak’s “The American” and other American music (Gardel’s Por Una Cabeza and Wallace’s pale reflections…) for string quartet in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on Saturday, April 25 at 3 p.m. as part of the Music on Saturday program sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

“As a relatively young quartet, they have already achieved something it often takes years to develop: a unique, collective sound which is as warm and full of sparkle as liquid gold.” said the Boston Musical Intelligencer.

Playfully named after the Arneis grape – a varietal that is difficult to grow, but which yields an exquisite white wine – the Boston-based quartet was hand-picked by the St. Lawrence String Quartet for its inaugural John Lad Prize.

The Arneis Quartet is made up of violinists Heather Braun and Rose Drucker, violist Daniel Dona, and cellist Agnes Kim. The Arneis Quartet is the faculty ensemble in residence at the Dana Hall School of Music.

• The annual Spring Rummage Sale at Plymouth Church on Pleasant Street will get underway Friday, April 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and continue on Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• The Tricommunity Coalition to End Homelessness is sponsoring “The Many Faces of Homelessness,“ a forum to discuss homelessness in the communities of Belmont, Waltham and Watertown on Sunday, April 26, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish Hall, 130 Common St.

Belmont Softball Finds the Going Tough Against Established Teams

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Photo: Junior third base Lia Muckjian.

After a quick start to the season, the Belmont High School Softball team took on the crucible of playing the better established softball programs in the Middlesex League which, it turned out, was a bit more than this young team was able to handle.

But unlike past years, the Marauder were competitive in each of most of the games during its four-game losing streak, including a 3-2 loss to non-league visitor, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, on a cold and breezy Thursday morning, April 23.

Belmont started off quickly with junior right fielder and lead off hitter Ani Hackett coming home with the game’s first run on junior shortstop Julia Rifkin‘s ground out.

Freshman pitching standout Christine MacLeod cruised through the CRLS Div. 1 squad in the first three innings, facing the minimum nine batters. But a two-out single in the fourth scored a pair for the Falcons in the top of the fourth to put them out ahead 2-1. 

On the Belmont side of the plate, despite singles by MacLeod, junior catcher Meghan Ferraro and second base Katrina Ruzzuto, the Marauders came up empty getting those players around to score.

In the bottom of the fifth, consecutive singles by junior third base Lia Muckjian, senior captain and first baseman Lauren Noonan and MacLeod brought in Belmont’s second run as Muckjian scored. But what appeared to be Belmont’s third run when Kate Lester, running for Noonan, seemingly beat out a wild pitch was taken back as she was called out by the umpire. (see photo here)

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Cambridge would retake the lead on two singles and a fielders choice and Belmont could not muster a challenge in their final at bats. 

The team is currently 3-6 with games on Friday, April 24, away at Lexington, and Monday, April 27, home vs. Winchester. 

Belmont Commemorates Centennial of Armenian Genocide

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Photo: The proclamation commemorating the Armenian genocide, April 21, (from left) Jim Williams, Jirair Hovsepian, Mon. Atamian, Sami Baghdady and Mark Paolillo. 

It’s remembered as “Medz Yeghern,” the “Great Crime”, the genocide of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in present day Turkey in the midst of World War I. 

Historians said the mass extermination of Armenians began on April 24, 1915, the day Ottoman authorities arrested and later executing 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople.

To recognize the events of a century past, the Belmont Board of Selectmen issued a proclamation, the seventh in as many years, on April 21, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the deaths of more than a million Armenians. 

“It is an event that should never be forgotten,” said Selectmen Chair Sami Baghdady.

Before the proclamation was signed, a Belmont resident spoke out on why the town’s declaration was important.

“We will altogether stand up and raise our voices in a well-tuned unison,” Jirair Hovsepian, a Chandler Street resident, told the selectmen.

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“We will continue to proclaim loud and clear that the organized annihilation of 1.5 million innocent people, our ancestors, is not the fruit of one nation’s imagination or a leisurely invented brutal fairy tale,” said Hovsepian, a member of Boston Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee

Home to generations of residents of Armenian heritage, Belmont has been a hub of expatriate activity and life, where survivors of the genocide – including Pastor Vartan Hartunian of the First Armenian Church in Belmont – would keep the experience alive. 

Monsignor Andon Atamian, the pastor of the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church in Belmont, said a prayer for the “martyred saints and our homeland.”

Hovsepian said the survival of the Armenian people “is a proclamation in itself,” ending by recalling the words of William Saroyan:

“Go ahead, destroy Armenia. See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a new Armenia.” 

Record Quarter Sends Belmont Savings Stock Soaring to All-Time High

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Photo: A branch office of Belmont Savings Bank. 

It was a record-setting quarter for the holding company of Belmont Savings Bank as the Belmont-based state-chartered savings bank saw net income more than double compared to the same first three months in 2014. 

BSB Bancorp reported on Thursday, April 24, net income of $1.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, compared to $680,000, for the quarter ended March 31, 2014.

“We experienced a solid quarter across the bank and are well positioned for further improvement in profitability.” said Robert M. Mahoney, the bank’s resident and CEO. Since coming on board in 2010, Mahoney has lead the bank in tripling its assets under management.

After the report was released, the bank’s stock (BLMT) reached an all-time price high of $20.81. 

And that activity has grown the bank’s balance sheet to where total assets reached $1.47 billion as of March 31, a jump of $43 million (about three percent) in the past three months.

“Reaching $1 billion in deposits was a significant milestone for Belmont Savings. It was achieved through a consistent focus on relationship selling and targeted marketing by our retail, business banking, municipal banking and commercial real estate teams,” said Hal Tovin, the bank’s executive VP and COO.

In the past year, Belmont Savings has the distinction as being the fastest growing Massachusetts bank regarding asset growth without acquiring another financial institution. 

Net loan growth increased by $52 million, or 4.4 percent, in the first three months of 2015.

  • Residential one-to-four family loans, $26 million,
  • Commercial real estate loans, $16 million,
  • Construction loans, $9 million, and 
  • Home equity lines of credit, $3 million.

Long an institution in Belmont, the bank provides financial services to individuals, families, municipalities and businesses through six full-service branch offices located in Belmont, Watertown, Cambridge, Newton and Waltham. 

Poems, In Film, Novel: Trio of Belmont Authors In the Spotlight

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Photo: A trio of authors are in the spotlight.

Three Belmont authors are in the spotlight for works being recognized, in progress and transformed into another art form.

• Stephen Burt‘s collection of poems, “Belmont,” is named one of the 50 best American Poetry Books of the decade so far by editors of Flavorwire, which covers “the best in cultural news and commentary.”

“Known principally as a brilliant and generous critic, Burt also released one of the decade’s finer collections,” said the editors of the Harvard professor. 

• The first trailer from the upcoming movie, “Black Mass,” has been released and is causing considerable buzz for the film based on the bestseller of the same name by Dick Lehr and co-author Gerard O’Neill. The 2011 book chronicled mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger’s alliance with the Boston office of the FBI and how he manipulated that relationship.

Here is the trailer with Johnny Depp as Bulger: 

• It’s been less than half a year since his last novel – “The Medallion” – was introduced, but nearly next month, Len Abram will see his latest book released.

“Debris” focuses on the sinking of the Lusitania, the sister ship of the Titanic, by a German U-Boat off the coast of Ireland, the passengers on board and the three spies who coordinate the attack. 

The publication date of the novel, May 7, corresponds with the centennial of the Lusitania‘s sinking.