Trucking In This Season’s Belmont Farmers Market

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For seven months, Suzanne Johannet would drive by the Claflin Street Parking Lot pinning for the return “of the white tents and vegetable and all the people” that makes up the Belmont Farmers Market.

Finally, on Thursday, June 12, Johannet and many residents got their wish as the Farmers Market celebrated the opening of its ninth season with vendors, a magician (Watertown’s Ryan Lally), trumpets and a first-ever food truck in the Belmont Center parking lot.

State Rep. Dave Rogers and kindergartener Daphne Ries – dressed as a tomato – cut the ceremonial ribbon as trumpeters Ned Searls and Jasper Wolf performed the traditional fanfare. Then Ries rang the market bell at 2 p.m. to announce the season lasting until the final Thursday in October.

“It’s always exciting to see the market reopen,” said Johannet who is a member of the Belmont Food Collaborative that manages the market.

Johannet said residents should come to the market because all the produce is fresh, it’s a great social event “seeing people you know each week” and there is an array of vendors so customers can pick up everything they need to make a great meal.

“If you love to cook and you love fresh vegetables, you’re in heaven here,” said Johannet.

Johannet also stressed that shopping at the market is just as cost effective as buying produce at the local supermarkets.

“We compare the prices of in season vegetables and fruits with those sold at the local food stores and the price is always the same or even less,” said J0hannet.

New this year will be food trucks which will come periodically. Thursday saw Benny’s Crêpe Café Truck stop by serving sweet and savory crepes and omelets. The other trucks include Jamaican Mi Hungry (whose owner is the food services manager at Belmont Day School) and Ribbons and Wraps.

“And who knows, we may add more as the season moves on,” said Johannet.

The Weekend in Belmont: Saturday Synchro Swimming, Brendan’s Home Run Sunday

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• The First Church in Belmont’s Second Friday Coffeehouse concert series presents “An Evening with Richard Curzi and Positive Energy” on Friday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. at 404 Concord Ave. Curzi, First Church’s own keyboardist and singer, returns to the Second Friday Coffeehouse for the 13th time, performing both sets in a variety of musical configurations guaranteed to delight lovers of all music genres. This year’s show will be an all “unplugged” acoustic performance of an unconventionally eclectic mix of original songs, nostalgic pop, jazz, and folk styles. Admission is $10 with students and seniors $5.

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet on Friday, June 13 at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., will continue our discussion of “Sons and Lovers” by D.H. Lawrence (Chapter 8 through the end of the book).

• Three Belmont swimmers will be participating in the annual Cambridge Synchro Swans Show, a demonstration of synchronized swimming taking place on Saturday, June 14 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the War Memorial Pool at 1640 Cambridge St., a stone throw from Harvard Square. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors with family tickets are $20. 

Juliette Saint-Ourens (on the 13 to 15 Intermediate Team and Trio) Quinn Maniona and Avery Williams (who are on the 13 to 15 Novice Team 1) will take part performing their routines along with lift and “throw” demonstrations. Maniona and Williams’ team took first place in the yearly novice/intermediate meet while Saint-Ourens qualified to swim at the East Zone Championships in Connecticut earlier this month. 

• An exhibit of artist Susan Schneider’s oil painting landscapes of New England, the Southwest and Coastal California can be viewed this weekend at the Mass Audubon Habitat, 10 Juniper Rd. Saturday and Sunday hours vary so call ahead at 617-489-5050.

• The 13th annual Brendan’s Home Run 5K race & walk is being held on Fathers’ Day, Sunday, June 15 with the 5K Charity Walk beginning at 9:30 a.m. with the road race commencing at 10 a.m. There will also be a 400 meter/800 meter youth races for kids 6 to 12. On-site entry fee on Father’s Day morning is $25. There is no charge for the 400/800m youth races.

A November Override Vote Now ‘Nil’ Due to State, Town Deadlines

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The hope of advocates for Belmont schools and town services to place a multi-year operational Proposition 2 1/2 override on the November ballot has been quashed by a combination of a tight state deadline and insufficient time for a committee reviewing the towns financial health to complete its work in time, according to the Selectmen’s chair.

According to Brian McNiff, spokesperson of the Massachusetts Secretary of State office, the secretary’s deadline for reviewing and approving the Proposition 2 1/2 override language so it can be placed on the November 4 state election ballot is August 6.

“[The town] has to have all the work done by that date so we can do the legal review required,” said McNiff.

Andy Rojas, chair of the Belmont Board of Selectmen – the municipal body under state law that must approve both the language and determine whether the town requires an override – told the Belmontonian Wednesday, June 11, a summer cutoff point from the state on top of notification requirements on the Town Clerk all but dooms the proposed November override ballot question.

The early August state drop dead date will not allow the Financial Task Force, a 13-member “mega” committee created last year to conduct a comprehensive review of the town’s finances, highlight possible revenue streams and develop a long-range financial and capital improvement plan, any chance of completing the analysis the Selectmen would require.

“The chances that the Financial Task Force … finishing any of its work to the point where we can reach any clarity on an override is now apparently nil,” said Rojas.

Municipalities must follow a precise list of procedures mandated by the state Secretary of State and the Department of Revenue to place an override question on the ballot.

“It is a very strict on what we require from the towns,” said McNiff, as municipalities follow a template on the why, how much and when of an override request.

Under state law, a Proposition 21⁄2 referenda questions can be placed on the state biennial – every two years – election ballot which has become an important point by Belmont override advocates who hope to benefit from strong voter turnout in a November election with state-wide races – including what many predict will be a competitive race for governor – on the ballot.

“However, those questions must be submitted to the Secretary of State for certification by the first Wednesday in August preceding the [biennial] election. G.L. c. 59, § 21C(i),” according to language on the Revenue Department’s web site. (http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/publ/misc/prop2.pdf)

In addition to state requirements, Belmont’s Town Clerk “must receive written notice of the referendum at least 35 days before the date of the election. The vote to place a question on the ballot must take place in sufficient time to meet this advance notice requirement,” reads the regulations.

While the Task Force has been working since the beginning of the year on the town’s finances, “they are still working through the facts,” said Rojas.

Rojas said he continues to support placing an override on the ballot “once we have all the information” to determine the need to permanently raise the tax levy.

“I think … the earliest voters will have a chance to vote on the override will be the [annual] Town Election in April,” said Rojas.

Sold in Belmont: Three Homes on the Roads

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

200 Rutledge Road. Garrison colonial (1936), Sold for: $1,510,000. Listed at $1,595,000. Living area: 3,608 sq.-ft. 13 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 158 days.

26 Frost Road. Garrison colonial (1940), Sold for: $860,000. Listed at $795,000. Living area: 1,767 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 1.5 bath. On the market: 68 days.

86 Juniper Road. Antique Cape (1936), Sold for: $1,495,000. Listed at $1,495,000. Living area: 3,636 sq.-ft. 9 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 81 days.

Ring the Bell! Belmont Farmers Market Opens for the Season Today

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It has been more than seven months since the market bell last rung but today, residents will once again have the opportunity to purchase fresh fruit, vegetable and lots of other good stuff as the Belmont Farmers Market opens for its ninth season at 2 p.m., Thursday, June 12, in the Claflin Street Municipal Parking Lot at the intersection of Cross Street and Channing Road in Belmont Center.

With an fanfare by Ned Searls and Jasper Wolf, State Rep. Dave Rogers will cut the tomato ribbon to officially open the market which will operate from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

A list of vendors, including several new businesses and producers, can be found here:

http://belmontfarmersmarket.org/vendors/

This year Belmont will see its first food trucks at the market; one serving crepes and omelets (monthly) and the other Jamaican food (the last two weeks in June, July and August).

Performers in the Events Tent
 today includes magic by Ryan Lally from 2:10 p.m. to 3 p.m. and old-time string music by The Hoot Owls from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

STORYTIME returns from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Last year it was mostly for preschool-aged children, but so many older kids came that we’re expanding it to include stories for older children. It’s sponsored by the Children’s Room of the Belmont Public Library. Librarians pick out books about food and farms, and market volunteers or librarians read each week.

The Belmont Farmers Market accepts SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) and gives shoppers who use them extra money to spend at the market on approved items.

Here’s how it works:

  • Bring the SNAP card to the blue Market tent.
  • The manager will swipe the card and gives out certificates to shop with.
  • The market will double a shopper’s SNAP benefits up to $25 per day, while matching funds are available. Example: If you planned to spend $10, the market will double that amount and provide certificates worth $20 to spend at the market.
  • Get full details at the Market Managers’ tent at the Belmont Farmers’ Market.

Last year, the market matched close to $1,000 in purchases. Matching funds have come from generous donations and grant funds.

What to Do Today: Authors Festival at the Chenery, Butler Sings at the Beech

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• The Chenery Middle School’s inaugural Spring Into Summer Book Fair is holding an Authors Festival in the school’s library from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Authors Julie Berry, Loree Griffin Burns, Erin Dionne, Greg Fishbone, Ammi-Joan Paquette, Sarah L. Thomson and David Yoo will be there to talk to students and parents and sign their books. The book fair continues until Friday.

• The Butler Elementary School 4th Grade Chorus will sing a variety of choral works written especially for children from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Beech Street Center. The 42-member chorus has been rehearsing once a week since September. Conductor Rosanne Mili has been a teacher at the Butler for 31 years while accompanist Craig McMahon, who is a recent graduate of Boston University, is the music teacher at the Wellington School and assists Mili with both the 3rd and 4th grade choruses.

• The Belmont Youth Hockey Association is meeting and providing jerseys for players in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room (adjacent to the Children’s Room) from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• On this day in 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman are murdered outside her home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. O.J. Simpson is later acquitted of the killings in 1995, but is held liable in a wrongful death civil suit.

Second Sharfman Memorial Run for Education Set for Oct. 5

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Rather than chance a run through a snow storm, the organizers of the second annual Dan Scharfman Memorial Run have moved up the date of the 5 kilometer race by a bit over a month to allow runners and walkers an enjoyable way of spending an early fall Sunday.

In fact, said race co-director Charlie Conroy speaking before the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Monday, June 9, the race’s new date of Sunday, Oct. 5, was nearer to the date the organizers wanted to stage the run/walk in memory of Belmont School Committee member Dan Scharfman. But due to a great deal of community activity in completing the new Joey’s Park adjacent to the Winn Brook School that took place over the holiday weekend last year, the inaugural race took place on Sunday, Nov. 17 under dark clouds.Screen Shot 2014-06-11 at 4.45.24 PM

This year, the race will take place at Harris Field on Sunday, Oct. 5 with the 5K race beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the 1 mile walk at 10:45 a.m.

Runners will take off from Harris Field and then up the hill on School to Payson then back down on Oakley and Goden before going once-around Clay Pit Pond before finishing at the field, passing the Burbank, Chenery and Wellington schools in honor of Scharfman.

 The proceeds from the races fund the Dan Scharfman Education Innovative Fund for the Foundation for Belmont Education’s Innovative Teaching Initiative. This initiative combines two of Dan’s passions and education priorities: professional development for teachers and school technology.

Normile Delivers With High School Theater Award

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Belmont High School senior Tyler Normile delivered the goods as “Kyle, the UPS guy” in the Performing Arts Company’s Screen Shot 2014-06-11 at 3.07.18 PMproduction of “Legally Blonde,” Belmont High’s spring musical.

His role received the ultimate recognition by winning the best feature actor category at the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s Musical Awards held on Monday, June 9 at a ceremony at the Cutler-Majestic Theater in Boston. 

“It’s a great honor, not just for Tyler, but for all of the students who were nominated to be recognized for their excellent work,” said Ezra Flam, “Legally Blonde’s” producer and director.

Belmont’s four other nominees were:

  1. Best Supporting Actress:  Caralyn Aufiero
  2. Best Supporting Actor:  Sam Korn
  3. Best Specialty Ensemble:  Julia Regier, Helena Kim and Isabelle Luongo
  4. Best Sound Design:  Greg LaBombard, Kadra Lindmeier, Michelle Kornberg, Anna Makar-Limanov, Princy Sundurakar and Sam Casey.

 

What to Do Today: Community Path Committee’s Final Meeting

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• The Community Path Advisory Committee will hold its final meeting to present its recommendations for and future action on a community path running through Belmont at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Gallery of Art on the third floor of the Homer Building located in the Town Hall Complex in Belmont Center.

• The Community Preservation Committee will be discussing the application process for the fiscal 2016 budget cycle at 5 p.m. at the Belmont Town Hall.

• On this day in 1184 BC, Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes. Helen was taken back home.

Belmont on the Run: 13th Brendan Home Run This Sunday

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Why not celebrate this coming Fathers Day this Sunday by:

  1. Running a quick five kilometers,
  2. Helping Belmont’s own Brendan Grant Foundation, and
  3. Having one final romp on the Harris Field track and turf before it gets torn to pieces during its renovation!

Better yet, why not do all three at the same time by signing up to run the 13th annual Brendan Home Run 5K being held on Sunday, June 15, come rain or shine.

Both the race and walk begins at Belmont High School’s Harris Field, located on Concord Avenue. Here is the day’s schedule:
  • 9:30 a.m. 5k charity walk
  • 10 a.m. 5k road race
  • 10:05 a.m. 400/800m youth races (ages 6-12)

The entry fee on Father’s Day morning is $25. There is no charge for the 400/800m youth races.

T-shirts will be given to the first 400 entrants, awards to the fastest parent/child teams and age-group winners, refreshments and some of the most fabulous raffle prizes around.

An application can be found right here: Brendan Home Run 5k 2014.
Belmont Savings Bank, Fitness Together Belmont and the Belmont Dental Group are the race’s main sponsor.
The Brendan Grant Foundation is dedicated to enhancing youth development, and supports a host of local initiatives that perpetuate the best core values found in healthy parent-child relationships.
 
Each Father’s Day, Brendan’s Home Run 5K lets us celebrate these important family connections.
If you need further information, contact via email: