Foundation For Belmont Education’s Casino Night Gala Brings Support To Educators [Photos]

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Photo: Dancing the night away: The return of the annual Foundation for Belmont Edcuation gala

High rollers and haute couture mingled in the Jordan Athletic Center at the Belmont Hill School for games of chance and Indian cuisine as the Foundation for Belmont Education hosted “Casino Night” on Saturday, March 22.

The return of the popular annual fundraising gala – last held in 2021 – saw the basketball court transformed into a casino and a dance floor, with a sit down a la carte dinner making it a super fun night out with folks who support the future of Belmont public schools. Patrons were treated with a raffle, on-line and silent auctions and games with dancing to boot. Melissa McKenna and Maria Olajangu, FBE co-presidents, hosted the night’s events that proved to be an outstanding night of fundraising for the commuity’s educators.

The gala’s main speaker was Josh Streit, Belmont High School educator who was last year’s FBE Outstanding Teacher Award winner. Streit told the audience that amoung the myriad of roles a teach has, there is one that stands out: the role of support. “How can I best support my students? How can I support their learning, their development. and their emotional well being.”

Streit said he sees the FBE in the same way, while it plays many important roles in our community and in our schools, “the most significant thing the FBE does is support” with summer grants, recognition, and classroom materials.

“But beyond this material support, it’s the feeling of knowing that there’s a community behind me, whether that’s the FBE or my colleagues, that truely makes a difference,” he said.

“We all want to feel supported, to know that we have someone behind us, rooting for us. And that’s what the FBE does for educators in this district.”

Photos:

Due To Pending Rain Event, Belmont Town Grass Fields Are Closed March 20-21

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Photo: Belmont’s grass fields are closed March 20-21

Due to a pending soaking rain and the oversaturation of the ground, the Belmont Department of Public Works has closed all of the town’s grass fields on March 20 and March 21. This includes activities such as youth sports and dog walking.

This is the second closure of town fields this year; they were closed for 12 days in February due to melting snow cover and rainy conditions.

Breaking: Massive Blackout In Belmont As Manhole Fire Plunges Town Into The Dark [UPDATES]

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Photo: The service map from Belmont Light’s webpage shows the town impacted by the outage

A manhole explosion at approximately 10 p.m. on Hittinger Street is responsible for plunging most of Belmont into the dark, according to Belmont Light, the municipal electrical utility.

The explosion and subsequent fire “caused the entire west side of town to lose power,” read a message on the utility’s Facebook account. While power remained on in the southeast section of Belmont and along Belmont Street and Trapelo Road into Cushing Square, all other neighborhoods and streets were dark. The resulting loss of electricity left most homes without power, street lights to go out, and resulted in drivers negotiating intersections without traffic signals.

Belmont Light said it has crews at the location, which is nearby to one of its transformer stations.

“We are ensuring that line workers can safely enter the manhole before determining the extent of the damage. We will provide an update ASAP,” the posting read.

UPDATE: At approximately 11:31 p.m., Belmont Light reported it had identified a failed cable and are testing others in an attempt to isolate the issue.

“We hope to start to pick customers back up within 30 minutes [at midnight, March 19] and will be making progress to restore power for all customers following testing.”

UPDATE: Belmont Light has completed the work bringing power back to the town.

Belmont Election Ballot Set With Competitive Contests In Five Town-Wide Races

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Photo: Voting will take place on April Fool’s Day

Belmont voters will have their hands full with five competitive races for town-wide posts at this year’s town election on Tuesday, April 1.

Two of the top contests will have new comers seeking to fill seats for Town Moderator and Select Board, while incumbents are running to retain their posts against opponents for Board of Health, Board of Health and the School Committee where four are running for two spots.

Candidates for town-wide races included:

Town Moderator (Vote for not more than one for 1 Year)
MICHAEL F. CROWLEY 119 Farnham St.
MARK A. PAOLILLO 42 Pilgrim Rd.

Select Board (Vote for not more than one for 3 Years)
PAUL ROBERT JOY 9 Harvard RD.
TAYLOR YATES 85 LAWRENCE LANE

Town Clerk Vote for not more than one for 3 Years
ELLEN O’BRIEN CUSHMAN 38 Scott Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)

Board of Cemetery Commissioners (Vote for not more than one for 3 Years)
WILLIAM JOSEPH CHEMELLI 11 Ripley Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)

Board of Health (Vote for not more than one for 3 Years)
JULIE C. LEMAY 37 Statler Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)
MICHAEL TODD THOMPSON 9 Jonathan St.

Members of the Housing Authority (Vote for not more than one for 5 Years)
SARAH M. BILODEAU 203 Trapelo Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)

Trustees of the Public Library (Vote for not more than two for 3 Years)
MARK CARTHY 21 Stone Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)
EDWARD P. BARKER, JR. 21 Garfield Rd.
TARA DONNER 47 Payson Rd.

Municipal Light Board (Vote for not more than two for 3 Years)
DAVID BEAVERS 316 Trapelo Rd. (Candidate for Re-election)
JESSICA KIT HARRISON 29 Williow St.

School Committee (Vote for not more than two for 3 Years)
JEFFREY W. LIBERTY 43 Worcester St. (Candidate for Re-election)
ZEHRA ABID-WOOD 306 Pleasant St.

BRIAN L. PALMER 210 Clifton St.
MICHAEL TODD THOMPSON 9 Jonathan St.

In the race to replace long-serving Town Moderator Mike Widmer, former School Committee member Mike Crowley who sought the post last year, will meet Mark Paolillo, who served four-terms on the town’s Select Board.

The race for Select Board will see a pair of newcomers as Planning Board Chair Taylor Yates who shepherd the MBTA Communities By-law through Town Meeting is taking on Paul Joy, the chair of the Economic Development Committee who led the effort to change the Select Board from a three to a five member policy-based entity.

With School Committee member Amy Checkoway deciding not to run for a third term, incumbent Jeff Liberty, Zehra Abid-Wood, Brian Palmer and Michael Todd Thompson are seeking election to the two seats up for grabs.

And, no, you aren’t seeing double as Thompson is also running against three-time incumbent Julie Lemay for the lone spot on the Board of Health. There is no provision in the town’s bylaws from running for as many posts as one wishes.

And there will be a lively race for the one seat on the Library Trustees as incumbent Mark McCarthy is running against former School Committee member Tara Donner and Edward Barker, president of the Belmont Library Foundation.

What’s Open/Closed On Presidents’ Day 2025 In Belmont; Trash/Recycling Delayed A Day

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Photo: Presidents’ Day in Belmont, 2025 (credit: USPS)

Two for the price of one. Living in Massachusetts allows residents to have your choice of who we are celebrating on the third Monday of February.

Presidents’ Day is a commemoration of George Washington’s Feb. 22 birthday. And since it fell near the Feb. 12 birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the federal government in 1971 included the two birthdays under one holiday.

And here is a bit of trivia: The Bay State officially celebrates “Washington’s Birthday” on the same day as the federal holiday. So take your pick.

Trash and recycling curbside pick up is delayed by a day.

Closed

  • Belmont Town offices – Town Hall, Homer Building – and Belmont Light.
  • Belmont Public Schools are on winter recess.
  • Belmont Public Library at the Beech Street Center and the Benton Library.
  • US Postal Service offices on Concord Avenue and Trapelo Road: No deliveries.
  • Banks; although some branches will be open in supermarkets.
  • MBTA: Operating on a Saturday schedule. See www.mbta.com for details.

Open

• Retail stores

• Coffee shops; Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are open

• Supermarkets

• Convenience stores, and

• Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

Snow Emergency Parking Ban in Belmont Starting Sat., Feb. 15 at 9 PM With Forecast Of Snow And Ice

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Photo: Snow with a coating of ice will make travel on Sunday “nearly impossible”

Effective Saturday night, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m., a SNOW EMERGENCY PARKING BAN on all roadways, municipal, and school parking lots has been announced by the Belmont Police Department. The parking ban will continue until further notice. All vehicles parked in violation of of the parking ban will be towed at the owners expense.

The ban comes as the National Weather Service at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb.15, a Winter Weather Advisory that will remain in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. The weather event will result in a mix of snow and sleet with accumulations between 2 and 6 inches and ice accumulations between a trace and 0.15 inches.

“Slow down and use caution while traveling,” noted the NWS. “Be prepared for slippery roads. Slow down and use caution while driving. If you are going outside, watch your first few steps taken on stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.”

“Travel could be nearly impossible,” said the NWS.

School Committee Sets ’25-’26 Calendar: Opening Day Wednesday, Sept. 3

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Photo: Belmont School Committee approves 2025-26 calendar

The Belmont School Committee voted unanimously to approve the 2025-26 calendar at its scheduled meeting on Feb. 11.

So parents and students can start planning this year’s summer break plans as opening day for the district has been set.

“That means that the start of the school year for 2025-26 will be Wednesday, Sept. 3 for grades 1 to 12,” declared School Committee Chair Meg Moriarity. Belmont continues its long standing tradition of beginning the year after Labor Day. The first day will also be a half day for students.

Half of the kindergarteners will report on Sept. 4 and Sept 5. Preschoolers will be welcomed to visit their schools on Sept. 5 with their first day on Sept. 8.

The planned final day of the school year is Thursday, June 25. That date includes five ‘snow days’ added to the proposed day in anticipation of the schools being closed for bad weather. If there are no day closures in 2025-26, the last day of school will be Thursday, June 18, as June 19 is the Juneteenth Independence Day holiday.

Notable breaks in the school year include:

  • Nov. 27-28: Thanksgiving Recess
  • Nov. 22-Jan. 2: Winter Recess
  • Feb. 16-20: February Recess
  • April 20-24: April Recess

Hanukkah’s Light Shines A Third Time In Belmont Center

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Photo: Rabbi Avi Bukiet of the Center For Jewish Life of Arlington-Belmont

The third time was more than a charm for Belmont’s Jewish holiday tradition.

During this year’s third annual Belmont Grand Menorah Light Celebration, Rabbi Avi Bukiet of the Center For Jewish Life of Arlington-Belmont told the two dozen attendees at the second-night lightening at the outdoor menorah—a candelabra with holders for eight candles—in the Belmont Center delta that something that happens three times in a row has a special meaning in Judaism.

“This is our third year in a row in Belmont, and the Talmud says that when you do something three times, it has a chazakah, which means ‘a strength.’ Now it’s a permanent pattern,” said Bukiet, who praised the town’s administration for being the first town in the Center’s service area, as opposed to a synagogue or other religious organization, to support the placement of an outdoor menorah.

“The Center for Jewish Life has built over the last few years a wonderful relationship with the town of Belmont, and we’re really thankful for those who helped make it happen. When I came for approval in the town, it didn’t even want to bring it up to the Select Board. It was already a done deal,” said Bukiet.

“The town has been welcoming, and everyone has been wonderful in making this happen and wanting this to happen. Thank you for including the Jewish community as part of the Belmont celebration. It’s important that we’re here and have a presence here.”

With Christmas and the start of Hanukkah falling on the 25th, which happened to be one of the coldest days of the winter, the number of participants was half that of the previous year. But those who attended – including visitors from Oregan and other out-of-towners – would have their fill of latkas from Whole Foods (editor’s note: tasty) and get to guess the number of dreidels in a dreidel container.

Bukiet said the strength projected by lighting a candle every evening is especially poient this year as approximately 100 of “our brothers and sisters across the world are being held hostage and are not able to celebrate with their families and with their communities for the second Hanukkah in a row.

“Let’s pray and hope and let’s wish that before the end of Hanukkah, the hostages are brought home to Israel, and those that are fighting for their freedom should continue to have strength from strength to strength to make this happen and to protect the Jewish people in Israel and all around the world as we continue to do our part.”

Bonnie Friedman, who came dressed in colorful tights and a coat with florescent sneakers to celebrate the holiday, said that despite the cold, holding an outdoor observation has significance in raising awareness of the Jewish community in Belmont.

“What’s beautiful about this is everyone has a menorah at home. It’s important to feel and be Jewish at home, but it’s also important to show our Judaism on the street. It’s important to show our pride, show the strength that we have, and be proud to be who we are,” said the Belmont resident.

Select Board member Roy Epstein hopes the menorah sheds light on current events.

“Hannauka is an event that happened in the Middle East a long time ago. A lot of people got slaughtered, and it was ended by a miracle. And I think here in 2025, I would like people to stop getting slaughtered, but I don’t think we can count on a miracle,” said Epstein.

I think what we have to hope for is for people of goodwill and courage to step forward and try to find an end to this madness and have a decent life for everybody, for Israel and everybody else in the Middle East. It’s one planet, and we’re all supposed to live here,” said Epstein.

Done! After Two Decades Of Delays, Beaver Brook Culvert Finally Replaced

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Photo: The new roadway over the Beaver Brook culvert at the Waltham/Belmont line.

After two decades of delays in deciding who would pay what part of a several million-dollar infrastructure project, a brand new tunnel carrying Beaver Brook under the main thoroughfare between Belmont and Waltham is now in operation.

The days of vehicles bouncing over steel plates as they crawled over a crumbling underground culvert, which allowed Beaver Brook to cross Trapelo Road at the border of Waltham and Belmont, have finally ended.

“The culvert? It’s finished,” said Glenn Clancy, Belmont’s long-serving Town Engineer, at a recent Select Board meeting. But don’t expect a ribbon cutting when the remaining items on the “punch list” are tidied up in the new year.

“I think everyone involved is just happy that it’s done,” said Clancy, Belmont’s contact on the project.

The more than three-decade delay in the rebuild was due to the culvert’s location: half of the infrastructure lies in Waltham, and the other half in Belmont. During this time, the two municipalities could not agree on which should pay for what.

“That’s always been a contentious thing. We knew we wanted to replace it, but the biggest issue preventing that was jurisdiction: was it Waltham? Or was it Belmont,” said Clancy.

Finally, in 2019, it was agreed that the two communities would split the project 50/50, although, in the end, Waltham performed more work and accrued additional costs, said Clancy. Belmont’s Town Meeting approved spending up to $800,000 from the town’s Sewer Enterprise Fund, accompanied by a $100,000 state earmark.

In 2022, the state legislature responded to requests for funding by appropriating $2 million to replace the culvert. In October 2022, Waltham—which took the lead on the work—requested bids and, in March 2023, granted the contract to E.T. & L. Corp.

The work began in early July 2024. It included razing the existing culvert and building the new tunnel and its wing walls. It also called for creating a new block wall on the downstream/Waltham side, constructing a moment slab and bridge railing, and constructing a flood wall on the upstream/Belmont side. Finally, minor drainage work, new sidewalk construction, paving, guardrails, and other minor work were and will be completed.

Celebrate Chanukah With Menorah Lighting at Belmont Center, Thursday Dec. 26

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Photo: The poster of the Belmont Center Menorah Lighting

Join your neighbors at this year’s Belmont Center Menorah Lighting taking place on Thursday, Dec.26 at 6 p.m. The ceremony featuring music, songs, and Chanukah treats will take place at the delta (Concord Avenue and Leonard Street} in front of the M&T Bank branch.

The annual event is coordinated by the Center for Jewish Life Arlington-Belmont which provides synagogue services, spiritual guidance, community outreach and education to inspire all Jewish people to discover a common bond of faith and observance.