This Week: A Bit of Everything Happening in Belmont in the New Year

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Welcome back from the holidays and winter recess.

• On the government side of the week, the Zoning Board of Appeals will approve the specifications for the pump and force main required in the comprehensive permit for the proposed housing development at Belmont Uplands on Monday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Gallery of Arts located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex. On the same day and at the same time, the Belmont Board of Selectmen will be at Town Hall to have a really short meeting with the Belmont Police presenting its new “Smart 911” program. On Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m., the Planning Board is meeting at Town Hall where it will discuss potential zoning by-law amendments while the School Committee (at the Chenery Middle School) will present a preliminary budget along with program changes at the High School. The Municipal Light Advisory Board will discuss the substation project and carbon reduction at the Light Department Headquarters at 40 Prince St. at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8.

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2 year olds are welcome) will be held in the Flett Room on Monday, Jan. 5. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• The 7th-8th Grade Book Club will discuss “Jackaby” by William Ritter, on Monday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Enjoy some snacks and choose February’s book.

• Tuesday, Jan. 6 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. Over at 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. 

• State Rep. Dave Rogers will be holding office hours in Belmont at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 p.m. 

• Head over to the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1:15 p.m. for a sing-along with Arnie Rosen. A Belmont resident, Rosen has become one of the favorite musical performers at the Center. A multi-instrumentalist, he has played guitar for more than 50 years and has a nice repertoire of songs.

• Yoga for everyone at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan 6, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.: join Susan Harris, a registered yoga teacher and associate professor of Nutrition at Tufts University for this Iyengar-inspired class which practices yoga postures slowly and with attention to alignment and safety, adapted to the abilities and needs of individual students. Practice is done with bare feet; mats and props are provided. Cost: $15/class. This is a non-Council on Aging class held at the Beech Street Center. For more information, call Susan at 617-407-0816.

• There will be a sing-along with Julie Goetze in the Children’s Room of the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

• The Belmont Public School invites Chenery Middle School students on early release Wednesday to come over to the library’s Assembly Room today, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., to do your homework while enjoying some hot chocolate. This is for middleschoolers only so high schoolers are on their own. This event is provided for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Public Library LEGO Club is for kids in kindergarten through second grade who want to meet and create their own unique structures. All LEGOs will be provided so just bring your imagination to the Assembly Room from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8.

• The Book Discussion Group for 3rd and 4th grades will take place on Thursday, Jan. 8, 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Senior Book Discussion Group at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. will discuss “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen on Friday, Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. 

• Belmont’s Powers Music School will be giving a concert for the community at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 9, at 1:15 p.m. Dubbed “Characters and Conversations,” the concert will feature faculty members Ben Fox (oboe), Meghan Jacoby (flute), and guest Ellie Parrone (piano). The concert is supported in part by East Boston Savings Bank. All residents are welcome to attend.

Not The Last Picture Show: Studio Cinema Closed for ‘Touch Up’

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This week, the marquee above the front door of the Studio Cinema, Belmont’s only movie theater, has been blank.

The doors to the cinema at the corner of Trapelo Road and Beech Street – which opened (as The Strand) to screen silent films 96 years ago – are shut and there is no activity from inside the lobby. Those online will discover a near empty web page with a cryptic note:

“The theater is closed for technical problems until further notice please keep in touch…..  Jim” it reads.

A flurry of comments began as residents and movie goers worried that the Studio, one of the few remaining one-screen theaters remaining not just in Massachusetts but around the country, had become a victim of high definition, IMAX screens and Netflix.

While the venerable theater is nearing the century mark, it is not ready to be bulldozed to create a residential/retail complex. In fact, the “Jim” of the message on the website said that the screen will be back in operation within the fortnight.

“Don’t worry,” said James Bramante, the long-time owner of the Studio Cinema at 376 Trapelo Rd., in addition to the West Newton Cinema in Newton.

“What’s happening is improvements to the building,” he said.

“It’s more of a rehab, a touch up, cosmetic in nature which should require the theater to be closed for the next two weeks.”

Sold in Belmont: Paying Premiums on the High-End Homes

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A weekly recap of residential properties bought in the past seven days in the “Town of Homes.”

• 40 Randolph St. A big, brick Tudor-style Colonial (1929), Sold for: $1,255,000. Listed at $1,250,000. Living area: 3,320 sq.-ft. 11 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 54 days.

• 255 Slade St. Brick Colonial (1925), Sold for: $1,131,000. Listed at $995,000. Living area: 2,390 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 61 days.

• 165 Radcliffe Rd. Dutch Colonial (1948), Sold for: $705,500. Listed at $725,000. Living area: 2,417 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 54 days. 

Would it surprise anyone that the two high-end houses picked up on the final days of 2014 where sold at a premium – contrary to the trend over the past six months of seven-figure structures having a hard time holding onto the listed price –  as new owners seek a tax advantage for this year and 2015?

Then again, each property had its selling points. The huge (expanded horribly in the early 1990s with the dormers running front to back) Tudor wannabe on Randolph Street in the Presidential neighborhood is the perfect location for parents with kids in the schools. A jump and a skip from the Burbank, just up Washington Street to the Chenery and a leisurely stroll to the High School. Just think, never have to drive the little ones to school and no need to give them a car when they turn 16. The Slade Street house would have been considered, at 2,300 sq.-ft. of livable area, a “big” house in Belmont up until about 15 years ago. But being the neighbor to the (bland) massive new residential construction at the corner of Common and Slade (will it go onto the market or is being built for someone?), it’s now not even the biggest kid on the block. But it doesn’t hurt that the former c. 1920 structure that resembled a haunted house was finally demolished in 2013. Finally, the Dutch-Colonial on Radcliffe was bought for a steal at just more than $700,000. Of course, the house is literally on Route 2, but still a great place to call home.

This Weekend: ‘Touch The Wall’ with BATs, Farmers Market Meeting Sunday

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• BATs can swim, at least in Belmont. And this Sunday, Jan. 4 at 1:30 p.m., the Belmont Aquatic Team is having its very own day at the movies holding a fundraiser screening the just-released documentary, “Touch the Wall,” at the West Newton Cinema.

The documentary highlights 17-year-old swimming phenom and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin who was destined for greatness at an early age, but it wasn’t until the arrival of three time Olympic veteran Kara Lynn Joyce did those sky-high expectations began to take shape. As training partners, competitors, and friends, Missy and Kara redefine what it means to win.

Due to some facilities problems, the first venue for the movie, the Belmont Studio Cinema, was unable to show the film. The West Newton Cinema is located at 1296 Washington St. in Newton (617-964-8074.)

Tickets are $10 and you can obtain them online here.

• Belmont Food Collaborative/Belmont Farmers Market is meeting Sunday, Jan. 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

 

How Many Millionaires Can Belmont Hold? Not As Much as Lexington

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Belmont is known as the “Town of Homes.”

Well, you can add “and some Millionaires” to that motto.

Thanks to the good people at the Boston Business Journal (“The Massachusetts towns and cities with the most million-dollar earners (BBJ DataCenter)” Dec. 16, 2014) who spent a few minutes poking about in the state’s Department of Revenue database, we now know some interesting (to some) information on the “one-percenters” who occupy the 4.7 square miles known as Belmont.

The grand total of those residents who filed tax returns in 2011 (the latest data available) seven-figure income tax returns in Belmont is 178, up five percent from 2010 with 169. The average income of the 178? Just over $2.6 million.

That figure is well above the state average of 51 millionaires per community.

In a population of a little more than 25,000, that comes out to one millionaire for every 142 resident.

Think of it this way: At a fully-attended Town Meeting, only two of those sitting in the Belmont High School auditorium would be millionaires.

On an area basis, that would be 39 millionaires per square mile although it would be expected that the northwest section of Belmont would have more seven-figure income residents.

But before you come to believe the town is crawling with high rollers, you need only look at Belmont’s neighbors to see who have the big bucks. Lexington has 291 millionaires (1 in 110 residents), Cambridge 391 and Winchester (which Belmont is compared with in terms of town budget and school spending) has 230 or about 1 in 90 residents. Arlington has 49 mega earners (1 in 892) and Watertown has 20.

Then there is Weston where 1 in 25 residents (467 are millionaires) are makin’ the big bucks; the average seven-figure filer made $5.1 million.

New Year’s Eve: MBTA (Very Late) Schedule, First Night and the Library Closing Early

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It’s New Year’s Eve and Belmont residents are preparing for the celebration by stocking up for house parties, heading to Boston for performances and fireworks or just staying home.

Here’s some information you can use before heading out (or in) tonight.

First Night Boston 2015 takes place all day in Boston with artistic events and fun stuff for kids and adults. The Grand Procession along Boylston Street will begin at 5:30 p.m., the Family Fireworks will be held on the Common at 7 p.m. with the grand fireworks at midnight over Boston Harbor.

First_Night_2015_Program_Guide

The best way into the city is via public transportation; the MBTA has extended schedules through the day and night:

• Buses and trackless trolleys to Waverley Square (73) and Belmont Center (74 and 75) will operate a regular weekday schedule. 

• If you are picking up the subway at Alewife or Harvard Square, the Red Line will operate a modified weekday schedule with additional trains operating at rush-hour levels of service throughout the evening from 3 p.m. until approximately 2 a.m.

• The Fitchburg/South Acton Line of Commuter Rail will operate a modified weekday schedule with additional service provided, including 12:10 a.m. and 2 a.m. trains back to Belmont and Waverley while the scheduled 12:10 a.m. train will be delayed until 1 a.m.

Don’t wait to get your books and DVDs; the Belmont Public Library will be closing at 5 p.m. today.

Town offices will remain open until 4 p.m.

For those seeking adult beverages to welcome in 2015, the Craft Beer Cellar is closing early at 8 p.m. And don’t wait too long to get your sparkling wine or champagne at Vintages in Belmont Center or The Spirited Gourmet in Cushing Square.

Depleted Belmont Boys’ Basketball Falls to Billerica, 66-60, for First Loss

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Despite 35 points and double digits rebounds from senior center Adam Kleckner and a late run led by fellow senior Ben Lazenby, the Belmont High School Boys Basketball could not recover from a “lousy” first quarter and suffered its first defeat of the season to undefeated Billerica High, 66-60, at Wenner Field House on Monday afternoon, Dec. 29.

While a combination of weak team shooting and ragged defensive execution were glaring inefficiencies on the court, two prime reasons for the loss by the Marauders was sitting on the bench. All-star junior shooting guard Matt Kerans had his left hand heavily wrapped in a bandage (obtained in the team’s impressive, come-from-behind victory over hosts Cathedral in Boston on Saturday) and co-6th man junior Cole Bartels sidelined with a viral illness.

“[Kerans] is one of the best players around so clearly we are a different team without him,” said Belmont Head Coach Adam Pritchard. Kearns has been a consistent points producer with the ability to drive to the basket or hit from distance while Bartels has become the most reliable three-point scorer when he’s on the floor.

In addition, Belmont was up against Billerica, undefeated and projected to challenge for the Merrimack Valley League title.

While he bemoaned the lack of offense punch, Pritchard pointed to the continued breakdown of the team’s defensive schemes by a quick, athletic Indians’ team as Billerica was adept at scoring from a number of offensive plays whether it was off the dribble/drive, off the screen or one-on-one under the basket.

“[Defense] is a team thing,” said Pritchard. If an opponent “gets by one of us or we don’t box out, then we’re a poor team,” said Pritchard.

Those defensive liabilities came to the fore in the game’s first eight minutes as the Indians rocketed to a 10-3 lead midway through the quarter. Led by senior guard Brad Fisher and 6-foot, 6-inch junior center Josh Bradanese, who battled Kleckner both inside and beyond the arc, each Indian starter scored including three three-point baskets, to take a 19-10 lead with Kleckner scoring eight points (going along with rebounds and a power block on Bradanese) with only senior guard/forward Seth Altman (2 points) scoring in the quarter.

Belmont finally found its footing in the second and behind Lazenby (13 points) who hit a three and Kleckner’s defensive stance (with another block and a steal along with nine points in the quarter) cut the lead to four points (26-22) on a junior Joe Shaughnessy layup.

But Billerica took advantage of the porous Marauder defense to end the half on an 11-2 streak to go into the half up 37-24.

Lazenby took charge in the third quarter with seven points and setting up Kleckner and senior forward Justin Wagner (4 points) but the lead stayed in double figures.

Despite 14 points in the fourth (in which his dominate play caused Bradanese to foul out), Kleckner could not bring the team back from the earlier deficit.

“We want to play teams like Billerica because they are good so we can get better,” said Pritchard.

Sweet Peach Deal Turns Sour as Eatery’s Future Up In The Air

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In the reversal of what was called “a done deal,” the Sweet Peach Diner will not be changing ownership just yet. 

At an administrative action this morning, Tuesday, Dec. 30, the Belmont Board of Selectmen approved a “Common Victualler’s” license – which allows a business to operate – for the eatery located at 628 Trapelo Rd. 

But the license is not going to Dennis Dyer, the owner of New York Diner in Watertown as well as other retail and commercial businesses. Back in November, the Belmont Board of Selectmen approved the change of ownership of the Waverley Square diner to Dyer.

When asked the circumstances for the license returning to the past owner, Ellen Carter – who is no longer involved in the day-to-day operation of the restaurant – Town Administrator David Kale only said issuing the license will allow the business to stay open, inferring a sale to some other entity is being considered.

Known for its breakfasts and southern-inspired menu, the diner opened in 2012 in the building that once housed Andro’s Diner, a popular Greek eatery that failed that year after five decades in business. 

Return for updates on this story.

Town Administrator Kale To Receive Second Three-Year Contract

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Receiving four-and-a-half (out of five) stars on the review and ranking website Yelp says a lot about how people think of a business or service.

You can add Belmont’s Town Administrator David Kale to that high-standard list as the official who manages the day-to-day operations of the town’s departments received an enthusiastic annual evaluation from the Belmont Board of Selectmen its Tuesday, Dec. 30 meeting.

“It was all very positive,” said Board Chair Andy Rojas.

During the meeting, the board announced Kale will receive a second three-year contract through July 2017 to stay in the position he’s held since August 2012.

“We are finishing the wording” in the contract, said the Cambridge-resident, who will receive a two percent cost-of-living adjustment to his current salary retroactive to July 1.

Kale’s evaluation was a tabulation of individual assessments by each selectmen, said Diane Crimmins, the town’s human resources director. The board appraised Kale’s expertise in professional tasks, public relations, organizational leadership, personnel management, leading the budget process and planning. Kale received a combined rating of 4.5 out of 5, said Crimmins.

The three selectmen praised Kale on improving morale in town personnel and working collaboratively with departments, and the school district, “which is critical is a small town like Belmont,” said Rojas.

Kale’s handling of the annual budget – which included creating a “one budget” process that requires a close working relationship between the town and the school committee and district – was sighted by the board.

“You’ve enhanced the public budget process,” said Selectman Mark Paolillo.

Kale, in turn, acknowledged the work of “a great group of department heads and employees” who “makes the work happen.”

“This is not done in a vacuum,” said Kale.

Get Your Tickets Now for the Marauders Trip to ‘The Garden’ on Jan. 10

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It’s a trip of a basketball lifetime: Belmont High’s Boys’ Basketball will travel to the TD Bank Garden on Saturday, Jan. 10 to take on Somerville High as part of the 2015 Good Sports Invitational.

And you can join the Marauders as they play under more championship banners than any other arena in the country as fans will be treated to a professional-caliber game presentation, featuring music and instant replays on the Garden HDX scoreboard. Just imagine seeing 20-foot tall Adam Kleckner and Ben Lazenby hitting threes in high def.

The game will take place at 12:30 p.m. – the match is part of an eight game one-day tournament with some of the best high school teams from the Boston-area competing – which will allow enough time to get back home to see the New England Patriots’ playoff game that afternoon.

In addition, many fans will be taking the 10:27 a.m. MBTA commuter rail train from Belmont Center to the Garden. 

TICKETS are $14 ($15 at the door) and are being sold at Champions Sporting Goods, 53 Leonard St. and Rancatore’s Ice Cream, 36 Leonard St.