The Week Ahead in Belmont: Chef Gerry Making Flat Bread and Tea at the Beech

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If there is a non-holiday week in which Belmont becomes the preverbal ghost town, it is the first week in August. You can bring your antique cannon to Leonard Street, fire it and miss just about any living creature known to man before watching  the ball roll into the Wellington Brook. Here IS what’s happening in Belmont this week:

• Chef Gerry is back! After making sushi, California rolls and other great food at Belmont Public Library, Belmont resident Gerry Connolly – a Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Professional Chef Program graduate with 20 years of experience as a personal chef and event caterer – is coming to make flat breads and dressings on Tuesday, August 5 at 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This event is free thanks to the generosity of Chef Gerry and the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.  Space is limited, so please sign up online or sign up by phone at 617-993-2870.

• It’s game day this Friday at the Beech Street Center as it holds “Tea and Games on the Patio” on Tuesday, August 5 at 1 p.m. There will be Scrabble, checkers, cribbage and Trivial Pursuit along with iced tea and cookies.

• Noon Movies for children on Tuesday, August 5 in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Come join us for the following movies for children:

  • Yo! Yes?
  • Here Comes the Cat
  • Island of the Skog
  • The Nutshell Kids
  • Where the Wild Things Are.
• Mime Robert Rivest presents “Laughter is the Best Medicine,” a unique program of comedy and movement on Wednesday, August 6 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• Receive a free hearing test at the Beech Street Center on Wednesday, August 6 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Your hearing aid batteries can be replaced. Mass Audiology offers this service free of charge to Center participants. Make your appointment by stopping by the front desk or by calling 617-993-2970.

• The Belmont Public Library is providing one-on-one Digital Library Help on Wednesday, August 6, from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Reference Room. Learn how to download eBooks from the library and set up a device. Get started with Zinio to read free digital magazines. E-mail and Internet basics, social media, or basic computer skills. Registration is required; register online or call 617-993-2870 to register by phone. Some services require downloading an app. Please come prepared with your Apple ID, Adobe ID, Amazon Account information, or other password and log in information for your device.

• Duplicate Bridge Club meets from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech St. The club holds American Contact Bridge League-sanctioned games. All are welcome to play. Cost is $7. Phone: 339-223-6484 for more information.

• Local musician Rubi performs original songs and traditional favorites on Thursday, Aug. 7, 9:30 a.m. or 10:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

Musical Summer Sweet: Belmont Community Band Premiers at Payson Park

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What began earlier this year as the hope of a summer diversion for Belmont musicians succeeded beyond the modest expectations of its leader as the Belmont Summer Community Band performed its inaugural concert at a special performance of the Payson Park Music Festival on Thursday, July 31.

With only three rehearsals scheduled before its first-ever show, conductor Arto Asadoorian was hoping for the best from the approximately 50 musician who showed up at Belmont High School a week before the concert. Current and former Belmont High School students and residents, many “who had not picked up their instrument in years” made up the group, said Asadoorian.

“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because this is the first time we’ve done it,” said Asadoorian, who is also the Belmont School District’s director of fine arts and performing arts.

“But they came to the first rehearsal and knocked everything out of the park,” he said.

On Thursday, the group performed a wide variety of pieces that included well-known works for band – Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Folk Song Suite” and “Country Gardens” by Percy Grainger – as well as modern works such as the soundtrack to “How to Train Your Dragon,” by John Powell.

The evening’s concert began with a performance by di bostoner klezmer, a trio of talented musicians who played European and American klezmer music. Dena Ressler, the Program Coordinator at Belmont’s Beech Street Center, led the musicians.

At the end of the evening’s showcase – sponsored by the Belmont Lions Club – Asadoorian said the band accomplished everything he had hoped for and is thinking of doing this again next year.

“It was a lot of fun when all you have to do is stand before them and wave your arms,” he said, adding “the toughest part about this evening is getting all the instruments into the truck to bring them back to the school.”

What began earlier this year as the hope of a summer diversion for Belmont musicians succeeded beyond the modest expectations of its leader as the Belmont Summer Community Band performed its inaugural concert at a special performance of the Payson Park Music Festival on Thursday, July 31.

With only three rehearsals scheduled before its first-ever show, conductor Arto Asadoorian was hoping for the best from the approximately 50 musician who showed up at Belmont High School a week before the concert. Current and former Belmont High School students and residents, many “who had not picked up their instrument in years” made up the group, said Asadoorian.

“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because this is the first time we’ve done it,” said Asadoorian, who is also the Belmont School District’s director of fine arts and performing arts.

“But they came to the first rehearsal and knocked everything out of the park,” he said.

On Thursday, the group performed a wide variety of pieces that included well-known works for band – Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Folk Song Suite” and “Country Gardens” by Percy Grainger – as well as modern works such as the soundtrack to “How to Train Your Dragon,” by John Powell.

The evening’s concert began with a performance by di bostoner klezmer, a trio of talented musicians who played European and American klezmer music. Dena Ressler, the Program Coordinator at Belmont’s Beech Street Center, led the musicians.

At the end of the evening’s showcase – sponsored by the Belmont Lions Club – Asadoorian said the band accomplished everything he had hoped for and is thinking of doing this again next year.

“It was a lot of fun when all you have to do is stand before them and wave your arms,” he said, adding “the toughest part about this evening is getting all the instruments into the truck to bring them back to the school.”

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Belmont House of the Week: 37 Franklin St.

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A friend of mine once complained that newly-constructed homes have expanded in size to where “you need a pair of roller skates to get from the bedroom to the bath.”

“What has happened to a cozy house?” she pondered.

For those of a similar mind, then seek out residential structures built during and immediately after the Depression of the 1930s. Attempting to keep building costs down, homes were built with necessity in mind, rather than the conspicuous consumption of “The Roaring ’20”: “[L]arge homes were built in the 1930′s, but they were less ornate and less concerned with the type of aesthetics common during the Victorian era” according to the website House Crazy. Livable space was at a premium with every inch used with the modern concept of personal space limited to closing the bedroom door.

If you’re looking for cozy, the white house for sale on Franklin Street should be considered. The 1937 Colonial has ten rooms in approximately 1,900 sq.-ft. located on a fifth of an acre. The house has a front-to-back living room with fireplace, wainscoting, crown molding and French doors. There is a grand-screened porch with kitchen and dining room access for outdoor entertaining three-quarters of the year. The dining room has chair rails, and lead glass beveled windows over-looking the screened porch. The kitchen has plenty of storage and room for a table and chairs. There is an electric stove, but the is a gas connection. A study, just off the living room, can also be used as a play room or office. The second floor has four to five bedrooms, one currently being used as a library, all having polished hardwood floors and new windows and the space provides lots of options to keep as-is or reconfigure for an additional bath and/or laundry. The property also has a garage and walk-up attic as well.

Price: $799,000

Listed by: Century 21 Adams KC, Anne Mahon

 

Five Open Houses in Belmont this Weekend

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From top-end to really affordable, these open houses are ready for you to walk through this summer weekend.

232 Prospect St. (Single family) 11 rooms, 4 bedroom, 3.5 baths. 2 car garage. Livable space: 3,220 sq.-ft. Lot size: 0.23 acres. What else? “Fabulous” third floor with spacious office, skylights, hardwood floors, bedroom, en suite bath, great for home office/teenage retreat or au pair suite. Price: $1,375,000. Open house: Saturday, Aug 2, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

18 B St. (Townhouse condo) 9 rooms, 4 beds, 4 baths. 1 car garage. Livable space: 2,957 sq.-ft. Lot size: 0.19 acres. What else? Brand new construction with three “stunning” floors with flexibility of use. Price: $885,000. Open House: Sunday, Aug. 3, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

37 Franklin St. (Single family) 10 rooms, 4 beds. 1.5 baths. 1 car garage. Livable space: 1,896 sq.-ft. Lot Size: 0.20 acres. What else? A grand screened porch with kitchen and dining room access for outdoor entertaining 3/4 of the year. Price: $799,000. Open House: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 2 and 3, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

134 Beech St. (Townhouse condo) 6 rooms, 3 beds, 2.5 baths. Livable space: 1,400 sq.-ft. Lot size: 0.12 acres. What else? New construction, the first floor offers nine foot ceilings with the second floor offers a cathedral ceiling master bedroom with ample closet space. Price: $619,000. Open House: Sunday, Aug. 3, noon to 2 p.m.

39 Barlett Ave. (Single family) 10 rooms, 2 beds. 2 baths. 1 car garage. Livable space: 1,674 sq.-ft. Lot Size: 0.07 acres. What else? Move in condition offering old-world charm with all of the modern amenities. Price: $549,900. Open House: Sunday, Aug. 3, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

 

About Time: Belmont’s Craft Beer Cellar Named ‘Best of Boston’

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Each August, Boston magazine publishes its annual list of what’s “best” around Boston; the “best” new restaurant, sticky bun, bikini wax (?!) and what not.

There is a lot to quibble about the concept and how and who the magazine selects as the “best” – the magazine’s universe appears to be limited to a few miles emanating from its “axis mundi” at the border of Boston’s South End and Back Bay neighborhoods – the 2014 edition will be known for one selection Belmont residents have known since 2011: the Craft Beer Cellar is the “best” beer store in Boston.

“Much to the delight of local hopheads, this shop – opened in Belmont four years ago by Cambridge Common alums Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker – is now spreading its sudsy gospel to new locations in Newton, Winchester, Braintree(,) and Westford,” says the magazine of the business that opened its doors on a cool November day at 51 Leonard St.

“In addition to offering tastings and classes, staffers take their inventory of ales and lagers quite seriously, regularly updating the varieties available at each store online (the newly open Newton Centre outpost alone carries more than 1,000 beers) and cataloging them by brewery, provenance(,) and style.”

And what Boston magazine acknowledges for eastern Massachusetts will soon be known around the US: the Cellar is opening stores in two new states – Maine (Portland) and New York (Warwick in Westchester county) – and is looking to Long Island and Los Angeles for possible locations.

Maybe we will see this headline in a few years: Best Beer Store in the US.

Sold in Belmont: Mega-Ranch on the Hill Tops Seven Figures

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

• 163 Brighton St. Antique Colonial (1850), Sold for: $969,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 2,596 sq.-ft. 9 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 63 days.

• 126 Waverley St. Garrison colonial (1957), Sold for: $875,000. Listed at $899,000. Living area: 2,257 sq.-ft. 9 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 49 days.

• 182 Channing Rd. Cape-style (1959), Sold for: $600,000. Listed at $549,000. Living area: 1,540 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 63 days.

• 74 Spring Valley Rd. Large ranch (1957), Sold for: $1,252,000. Listed at $1,199,000. Living area: 3,907 sq.-ft. 13 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 1 full, 2 half baths. On the market: 111 days.

• 91-93 Slade St. Two-family (1926), Sold for: $850,000. Listed at $775,000. Living area: 2,616 sq.-ft. 13 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 83 days.

• 27 Mayfield Rd. Garrison colonial (1937), Sold for: $690,000. Listed at $688,000. Living area: 1,540 sq.-ft. 6 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 34 days.

• 206-208 Beech St. Two-family (1926), Sold for: $650,000. Listed at $625,000. Living area: 2,330 sq.-ft. 13 rooms; 5 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 128 days.

• 5 Wilson Ave. Frame house with neo-Gothic elements (1910), Sold for: $628,000. Listed at $575,000. Living area: 1,546 sq.-ft. 6 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 55 days.

• 53 Maple St. Condominium, Sold for: $379,000. Listed at $399,000. Living area: 1,133 sq.-ft. 5 rooms; 2 bedrooms, 1 full. On the market: 76 days.

• 8 Holt St. Townhouse condominium, Sold for: $761,000. Listed at $725,000. Living area: 2,225 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 2 full, 2 half baths. On the market: 71 days.

• 39 Drew Rd. Condominium, Sold for: $470,000. Listed at $489,000. Living area: 1,291 sq.-ft. 6 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 1 full. On the market: 72 days.

• 23 Richardson Rd. Brick Colonial mish-mash (1927), Sold for: $1,075,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 2,156 sq.-ft. 10 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 57 days.

• 143-145 Trapelo Rd. Two-family (1925), Sold for: $700,000. Listed at $667,000. Living area: 2,236 sq.-ft. 11 rooms; 5 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 70 days.

• 12 Leslie Rd. Condominium, Sold for: $592,500. Listed at $575,000. Living area: 2,100 sq.-ft. 9 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 3 full. On the market: 104 days.

The New Community Band Premiers at Payson Park Thursday

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The first-ever concert by Belmont’s new town band will take place at a special free event at the Payson Park Music Festival beginning at 6 p.m. tonight, Thursday, July 31.

Led by Arto Asadoorian, the Belmont Community Summer Band consists of wind and percussion players ages 14 to “too old to ask,” said Asadoorian. The band members – which has a good number of current high school musicians performing – have had three rehearses held over the past week to sharpen their skills. Expect the unexpected!

Opening for the band will be di bostoner klezmer, a trio of talented musicians who are adept at performing authentic, dynamic European and American klezmer music from 19th century European to 1950s “club dates.” Belmontonians will likely know one of the band’s members, Dobe (Dena) Ressler, who works as a Program Coordinator at the Beech Street Center. 

Payson Park is located at the corner of Payson Road and Elm Street.

Art Sprouts at This Week’s Belmont Farmers Market

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Market day in Belmont on Thursday, July 31 will feature Art at the Market, which includes a lot of fun art activities for the whole family from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event, run by local artist Anne Katzeff and volunteer Jeanne Mooney, will take place in the events tent in the center of the market.

Belmont Farmers Market, open on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., is located in Belmont Center’s municipal parking lot at the corner of Cross Street and Channing Road.

The summer harvest is coming in with corn and tomatoes leading the way. Think about making a cooling rustic gazpacho from the fresh produce at the market this week.

This week’s guest vendors are Still River Winery, Soluna Garden Farm and Bedford Blueberry Goat Farm, joining the market’s weekly vendors.

The food truck this week is Jamaica Mi Hungry, from 3 p.m. until the market’s closing. (Love the curry goat.)

In the Events Tent

Tastings: My Other Kitchen, a new Belmont restaurant that’s gotten great reviews, brings samples from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Storytime: The Belmont Public Library sponsors storytime for preschool and older children. Deborah Borsuk from the Children’s Department will read from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SNAP payments: The market accepts and doubles SNAP benefits (formerly called Food Stamps) up to an extra $25 per market day, while matching funds last. Donations help sustain this program.

It Sounds Like the Beatles in Payson Park this Evening

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You will think that you’re at Suffolk Downs 48 years ago at tonight’s concert at the Payson Park Music Festival as the “best New England” Beatles tribute band, 4EverFab (shouldn’t that be “4EVAFab”?) comes to play in Belmont beginning just after 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 30.

“Featuring brilliant lead vocals, precise three-part harmonies and outstanding musicianship, 4EverFab plays The Beatles…From The Cavern Club to Abbey Road” reads their website, the group is currently on a 19-date tour of communities that selected them to perform at summer events. (The Beatles also had 19 dates on their 1966 US tour including at Suffolk Downs in Eastie.)

Here’s a Youtube video of the group.

Celebrating a quarter century, the Payson Park Music Festival takes place at Payson Park at the intersection of Payson Road and Elm Street. The concert is free.