The Weekend In Belmont: Town Day, Graduation, Concert at First Church, Yard Sale For Fire Victims

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• Belmont Town Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Belmont Center on Saturday, May 31. There will be food, music and rides and entertainment for the kids while businesses and community groups will have tables out in the middle of Leonard Street. Don’t be scared off by the small threat of rain.

• Belmont High School Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2014 will take place at 2 p.m. in the high school’s Wenner Field House on Sunday, June 1. Later, the newly-minted alumni will participate in the All-Night Party in the High School’s cafeteria.

• The Belmont Police is holding a Gun Buyback event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the town’s DPW Yard at 37 C St. on Saturday, May 31. It is a “no questions asked” service provided by the Belmont Police and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office; gift cards will be provided to those who participate courtesy of the Belmont Religious Council.

• A Neighborhood/Marketplace Yard Sale for the nine victims of the fire on Marlboro Street will take place on Marlboro Street between Unity and Fairview from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 31. 

• A Chamber Music Concert to benefit the SPARK Pediatric Division of Boston Medical Center will take place at The First Church Belmont, Unitarian Universalist, 404 Concord Ave. at 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. Music of Bach, Handel, Purcell, Dowland and Gilbert & Sullivan is on the playbill.

• Belmont High School Girls Tennis will likely host a quarterfinals match this weekend in the Div. 2 North sectionals but there has been no indication when that would occur as of Friday morning.

Before Cold and Rain, One Entrepreneur Makes Lemonade Pay

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Memorial Day Monday was an outlier this year; a warm and a bit humid day sandwiched between cool and at time rainy weather.

It was the perfect opportunity for Evelynn of Fairview Avenue to show her entrepreneurial chops.

With attendees from the Memorial Day ceremony heading back home, the five-year-old made a batch of nicely-tart lemonade, found a table, straws, the required red cups, and a garnish of real sliced lemons. IMG_8831

“She made a list of everything she needed. She was very organized and I’m impressed,” said her dad.

To bring the point home that she was so pen for business, Evelynn created her own sign on large poster paper: Lemonade 50 cents spelled out in crayon.

Soon the customers came calling from strangers to neighbor kids. Evelynn proved an adept business person, pouring just enough lemonade to satisfy buyers so that she would not have to make another supply of the drink. In just a few minutes, Evelynn made a few dollars that her dad placed in her wallet.

“It think she’s doing a fantastic job,” her dad said.

So, could the lemonade stand foretell a future in business?

Watch out, Shark Tank.

“We’ll find out,” said her mom.

Au Revoir: After Four Decades in Town, Romneys Sell Belmont Townhouse

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For the first time since 1971 when they moved into the pretty house on Winn Street, Mitt and Ann Romney are no longer Belmont residents, selling their South Cottage Street townhouse on May 6 for $1.2 million, according to records at the South Middlesex Registry of Deeds.

The Romneys purchased the townhouse in the Woodlands at Belmont Hill development on the McLean Hospital property in June 2010 for $895,000 after selling the family manse on Marsh Street in April 2009 for $3.5 million.

The townhouse, appraised in 2014 by the town for $973,000, was sold to Valmarc Corp. CFO Gordon and Laurie Low; he, like the Romneys, an alumnus of Brigham Young University.

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Sold In Belmont: 1950s Split-Level Goes for $1.25 Million

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

30 Howells Road. “Country home” Colonial (1898), Sold for: $1,173,000. Listed at $1,100,000. Living area: 2,091 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 33 days.

37 Thayer Road. Condominium, Sold for: $234,000. Listed at $233,900. Living area: 615 sq.-ft. 4 rooms; 1 bedrooms, 1 bath. On the market: 63 days.

32 Amherst Road. Split-level ranch (1951), Sold for: $1,250,000. Listed at $1,195,000. Living area: 2,592 sq.-ft. 8 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 57 days.

256 School St. Tudor-style colonial (1935), Sold for: $844,000. Listed at $829,000. Living area: 2,284 sq.-ft. 8 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 57 days.

2 Crescent Road. Condominium, Sold for: $702,000. Listed at $687,000. Living area: 2,668 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath. On the market: 42 days.

Take A Walk On the Little River Side

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Come on a spring nature walk and imagine the time of the ice industry and other historical adventures along the Little River in Cambridge and Belmont during the Little River History Nature Walk led by Anne-Marie Lambert of the Belmont Citizens Forum. Walkers will pass cattail marshes, tributaries and maples to an idyllic view of Little Pond in Belmont.

The walk will take place on Sunday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to noon starting at the public parking lot at 15 Acorn Park Drive in Cambridge.

Bring high boots for the mud, and, optionally, a walking stick. The walk is one mile to Little Pond and the same one mile back.

Walkers will learn about geologic, Native American history, farming, industry and railroad histories of the area. The trip will travel along the river, meadow, and forest habitat which is home to wildlife such as deer, red fox, coyote, river otter, mink, cottontail rabbit, voles, mice and many residential birds including wild turkey, blue heron, red-tailed hawks, ducks, swans, robins and woodpeckers.

Walking Directions from Alewife T station, take a right, cross the bridge over Little River, a left onto DCR’s “Alewife Park Greenway,” stop at the end (10 minutes from Alewife)

Driving directions from Belmont: take a right at the end of Cross Street onto Lake Street, first right onto the Route 2 access road, first right onto Acorn Park Drive (before Route 2 on ramp at left), stop at the end.

This walk is co-sponsored by the Belmont Citizens Forum, Friends of Alewife Reservation, the Mystic River Watershed Association and the Coalition to Preserve the Belmont Uplands.

What to Do Today: How Cambridge Built Their Library, Playoff Tennis, 6th Grade Concert

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• Never say die. “A New Library: An Impossible Dream Realized” is a talk by Susan Flannery, director of libraries for Cambridge, about the dream of a new public library realized in Cambridge; how it impacts the functions the library serves and what it means to the community. The talk, hosted by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The post-season comes to Belmont as the 12-4 Belmont High School Girls’ Tennis team hosts Tewksbury High in a first-round match of the Div. 2 North sectionals at the High School tennis courts beginning at 3:30 p.m.

• The Chenery Middle School 6th Grade Band, Chorus and Orchestra Concert is taking place at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

Pair of Belmont High Alumni Race To National Championships

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It was a magical Saturday, May 26, as two Belmont High School grads took home national championships at the NCAA Div. III Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Haverford College senior Chris Stadler passed long-time rival and defending champion John Crain of North Central College on the final stretch in the 5,000 meters to win by less than half-a-second, 14 minutes, 11.28 seconds to 14:11.72.Screen Shot 2014-05-28 at 12.18.40 PM

On Thursday, it was Crain who ran away from Stadler to take the 10,000 meter race.

The win was Stadler’s second national championship, having won the 5,000 meters indoors last year. The victory also secured Stadler his eighth All-American certificate and secured his status as the most decorated runner in Haverford history. He was also named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Mideast Region Outdoor Athlete of the Year.

Just a few hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University senior Andrew Carey became the first Blue Jay men’s athlete to win an individual event at the NCAA track championships when he won the 800 meters in 1:50.62, ahead of runner-up Mitchell Black (1:51.30) from Tufts.

In the preliminary round, Carey broke his own school record with a time of 1:49.67, the best time posted by any Division III runner this season. Carey became the first two-time All-American in school history as he finished second in the 800 a year ago.

See Carey’s post-championship interview here.Screen Shot 2014-05-28 at 12.14.41 PM

“It’s so fitting to see Andrew’s year end with a national title,” said John Hopkins track coach Bobby Van Allen.

“He put himself in that elite stage and just kept going. His confidence was overwhelming and a large part of his success. I’m ready to see the next chapter in his running career.”

Carey has become the first-ever two-time All-American after finishing second in the 800 meter at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Both Belmont High alums’ colleges competed in the Centennial Conference.

Belmont’s Gun Buyback Event This Saturday, May 31

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In the wake of increasing incidents, nationally and locally, of accidental injuries and deaths from guns, the Belmont Religious Council, faith communities in town, the Belmont Police Department and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office have joined for a community Gun Buyback event on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Belmont DPW Yard, 37 C St.

The Belmont event is modeled on recent successful gun buyback events held in other towns across Massachusetts and in other parts of the country, including one held in Arlington in September 2013.

Belmont Police officers and the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office will be on hand to accept any and all hand guns, rifles, shotguns, assault weapons, BB guns and air guns, working or non-working, antique or modern, registered or not, and ammunition for safe storage, followed by disposal in accordance with state law.

A key aspect of the event is the “No questions asked! No identification required!” policy. Amnesty will be extended for gun law violations by residents traveling to the event. Firearms must be brought to the event with empty chambers, clips or magazines unattached, safeties on and in a carrying case, box or other container.

Those who bring in firearms will receive gift cards to local grocery stores, in the following amounts:

  • $25 for BB or pellet gun or inoperable firearm
  • $50 for a revolver, semi-automatic, shotgun, or rifle.
  • $100 for an assault weapon.

The Belmont Police Department has set up a special phone line to receive questions and requests for assistance in transporting firearms to the event: 617-993-2529.

Aided by the Religious Council, seven faith communities – All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Belmont, Belmont- Watertown United Methodist Church, Beth-El Temple, First Baptist Church of Belmont, The First Church in Belmont, UU, Plymouth Congregational Church, UCC, and the St. Joseph and St. Luke Collaborative parishes – banded together to push for the program, which is supported by Belmont’s state legislators, State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Dave Rogers.

“In addition to removing unwanted firearms from homes, another benefit of the gun buyback is the dialogue that has developed among community members on how we can all work together to reduce gun violence in Belmont and beyond,” said Jean Dickinson, a member of the First Church in Belmont UU, who led the initiative.

Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin said, “Personally, I feel that it is a very worthwhile voluntary program and an opportunity for our residents to dispose of unwanted firearms and ammunition, especially in light of some of the tragic situations we have seen throughout Massachusetts, the country and the world.”

“On average, more than 34,000 people are accidentally shot or commit suicide using a firearm each year. I believe that providing residents with a safe way to dispose of firearms they no longer want can help reduce these numbers,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian.

“These buybacks also encourage dialogue among those involved about ways to make our communities safer.”

Several Belmont businesses have already stepped forward to make donations in support of the event. The Belmont Gun Buyback Committee invites other businesses and individuals to do the same. The Committee hopes to raise $5,000 to purchase grocery gift cards to be provided in exchange for firearms. Any leftover grocery gift cards will be donated to the Belmont Food Pantry.

Donations may be made by sending a check or money order payable to: Belmont UMC/Gun Buyback Program and mailed to: Belmont United Methodist Church, 421 Common Street, Belmont, MA 02478, or via pay pal on www.belmontgunbuyback.org 

Post Season Schedule Set for Sprinters, Belmont Baseball, Tennis Teams

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Three Belmont High School teams will be playing in the post season as Baseball and the Boys and Girls Tennis teams along with two exceptional sprinters on the track team received their tournament draws yesterday, May 27, from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Freshman Julia Cella is the favorite in the 200 meters – having run a season leading 26.07 – and a top contender in the 100 meters in the Div. 3 East track and field meeting taking place on Saturday, May 31 at Pembroke High School. She will also be anchoring the 4×100 meter relay ranked fourth in D3.  Joining her will be fellow freshman Rachel Berets in the 100 meter hurdles, the top 9th grader in the event. Junior Kayla Magno is a top eight threat in the 400 meters hurdles. Joining his teammates is junior Max Jones who has broken 23 seconds in the 200 meters and is rated 4th coming into the meet. Fellow junior Ari Silverfine dipped under 2 minutes in the 800 meters for a top 10 ranking this year.

Belmont High Baseball – which came out of the weekend’s Brendan Grant Tournament with a win and a loss – with a record of 11-9 has been seeded 9th in the Div. 2 North sections and will meet number 8 Beverly High School under the lights at Endicott College in Beverly on Friday, May 30 at 7 p.m. A win will see the Marauders head over to Gloucester on Saturday, May 31 to take on number 1 seed Gloucester High School.

The 8-8 Boys’ Tennis will be traveling to Topsfield to challenge the number 5 seed Masconomet Regional High School on Thursday, May 29 at 5:30 p.m. while Girls’ Tennis, with a record of 11-5 and co-champions of the Middlesex League’s Liberty Division, will host Tewksbury High School on Thursday, May 29 at 3:30 p.m. A Marauders victory will likely see a match between league co-champion Reading High School.

Things to Do Today: Schools Art Show Reception, Community Path Meets, Quintuplets Birthday

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• The reception for the first K-12 Art Show featuring student work from the six Belmont public schools will take place at 6 p.m. Please join the artists and their families for this Opening Reception in the Belmont Gallery of Art, third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex.

• The Community Path Advisory Committee will be meeting at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Gallery of Art on the third floor of the Homer Building which is located in the Town Hall complex. They will be discussing releasing the committee’s final report on June 6 and the June 18 public forum.

• Graduating seniors are going on their annual cruise this afternoon. A three-hour cruise!

• Eighty years ago today,  the Dionne quintuplets – Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie and Marie – were born in Quebec, the first quintuplets to survive infancy. In the 1930s, their popularity rivaled the biggest movie stars. Annette and Cécile are celebrating their 80th birthday today.