BEA Scholarship Awarded To Student Who Recognizes HS Educator As Inspiration

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Photo: Belmont High’s Ciara Lally (left) will major in Elementary Education at Merrimack College this fall.

The Belmont Education Association awarded its annual scholarship to Ciara Lally at Belmont High’s Senior Awards Assembly in May.

The scholarship was created to support a graduating senior who has been inspired to pursue a career in education by one of his or her Belmont Public Schools educators. Donations from BEA members help to sustain the scholarship.

Lally was motivated by Belmont High teacher Erin McCarthy to pursue a career in education.

“I met Ms. McCarthy freshman year of high school; she has been with me for all four years of my high school career. Being a teacher has always been a thought in my head since I was a little kid. I’m very grateful for everyone that has helped me along the years and it has made me want to help kids that are struggling. I want to be able to show them they are capable of,” said Lally who will attend Merrimack College this fall majoring in Elementary Education.

“With her help, I learned to be a determined student and what I was actually capable of. I want to be an elementary school teacher because I love to work with children and I want to help them to be the best they can,” said Lally.

“One day I hope I can help my students to achieve their goals like I have achieved mine.”  

BHS PAC’s ‘Little Shop’ Takes Home Two Honors At State School Musical Awards

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Photo: Sammy Haines (middle) with cast mates at the MET Musical Theater Awards on Monday, June 10.

The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company production of Little Shop of Horrors took home two awards at the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild’s annual MET Musical Theater Awards held on Monday, June 10.

• Best Lead Actor: Sammy Haines as Seymour Krelborn. Haines also performed at the ceremony as one of the top finalists for this year’s Massachusetts “Jimmy” Awards.

• Best Choral Ensemble

“Both of these awards, and the nominations are an honor and a credit to the hard work of the Performing Arts Company students and staff,” said Ezra Flam, Belmont High School Theater Specialist and Performing Arts Company Producer/Director

In addition to the awards, the PAC was recognized as a nominee in the categories of Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Sound Design, Student Pit Orchestra, Dance Ensemble and Technical Crew.

School Committee OKs Exploring Private/Public Rink Partnership

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Photo: Select Board Chair Tom Caputo and Assistant Town Administrator Jon Marshall.

After the Belmont School Committee voted unanimously Tuesday, June 4 to move forward with a private/public partnership to build a new town skating rink, Select Board Chair Tom Caputo said the vote was the “easy part.”

The hard part, he noted, is coming in two weeks.

With the Select Board likely following the School Committee’s lead supporting the partnership at its Wednesday meeting, Caputo said the next step for the School Committee to providing Town Administrator Patrice Garvin’s office “some guidance” on the size and location of the rink when the town creates a “request for proposal” that developers will bid on.

“Are there some specific things that folks would like to see or hear or investigate in the time that between now and then that would help inform that conversation,” Caputo asked the committee members after voting to explore a public/partner arrangement.

What is going to make this phase of the committee’s work difficult is due to an extremely tight timeline to get all their concerns and suggestions to the town.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” said Caputo, since the work identifying the major issues that need to be resolved to satisfy the committee members that the partnership is doable must be completed in just two weeks when the School Committee meets for the final time until the new school year in September.

Jon Marshall, assistant town administrator noted to the committee, representatives from his office and the Office of Community Development will require at least the summer to write an RFP has the dual challenges of writing a financial worthy project while encapsulating the advice from the School Committee.

“I think that the challenge that we will have, as a group, as we go through this process is putting on the table the hopes and expectations that we have in the RFP and prioritizing them as to non-negotiable to flexible items, and then finding out what we are at the end and then to avoid that area,” said John Phelan, Belmont Superintendent.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the committee members raised several prominent issues they wanted to be investigated, a major one being whether the project requires a regular sized rink with an adjacent half rink to be financially viable.

Another concern the committee wants to place in an RFP is a requirement that the project doesn’t reduce the three playing fields that will abut the new project. Committee member Tara Donner said there should be some effort either in the RFP or during the that supports a rink with ice sheets two levels to reduce the building’s footprint.

Belmont School Committee member Tara Donner

Marshal said it’s likely that the RFP can be written in such a way that bidders will be encouraged to tackle the space of the building and how it impacts the number of fields.

Other issues were the availability of parking, traffic pattern changes with a new structure, and hours of operation needed to support the business plan.

While a number of residents at a public meeting a week previous voiced a myriad of issues with a prink – including pay the rink’s estimated $8 to $10 million price tag – the School Committee was fairly unified in its support to at least thoroughly investigate the private/public proposal over other options.

“[W]e need to at least explore the possibility of this low-cost option,” said Micheal Crowley who said residents have taken on the financial burden of a new school and the likelihood of an override next spring.

While echoing Crowley’s statement, fellow member Andrea Prestwich said her support is conditional with the knowledge that if the proposals do not satisfy the board’s direction and specific worries, “we have the right to say ‘no’.”

Solid Pitching, Timely Hitting Propels Belmont Baseball Past Masco in Playoff Opener

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Photo: David Pergamo (front) and Martin Marintchev score on Mike Brown’s single in the first inning.

With solid defense and riding the steady right arm of senior Martin Marintchev, Belmont High School secured a 7-1 victory over Masconomet Regional in the first round of the MIAA Division 2 North sectional playoffs on Thursday, June 6.

Marintchev held the Chieftains (11-10) to six singles and one earned run while striking out four as he went the distance for the complete game victory. Marintchev helped his own cause by driving in a pair of runs, joining teammates junior DH Mike Brown and third base Dave Pergamo who totaled two RBIs each.

Belmont High’s Martin Marintchev.

Belmont, the tournament’s 7th seed, will next play second seed St. Mary’s School of Lynn on Monday, June 10, at 4 p.m. at Fraser Field in Lynn.

“We got out on front early and that made a great deal of difference,” said long-time Belmont Head Coach Jim Brown. “That let our pitcher throw strikes and when [Masco] started hitting, our fielders did a great job.”

Evidence of Belmont’s defensive prowess started early in the top half of the first when a base on balls and a bloop single resulted in Chieftains on second and third and no outs. But Masco couldn’t push a run across the plate as first shortstop Joe Carey and then second base Matt Brody cut down runners at the plate before third base Pergamo got the final out on a long throw from third to first.

For its part, Belmont did not waste its first opportunity, putting two up in the bottom of the inning. A walk to Pergamo followed by a deep double from Marintchev set up Brown who whacked a two-run single to give the Marauders the early lead.

After the fast start, the pitchers took over for the next four innings. And while Masco was hitting the ball, Marintchev was forcing the Chieftains to lift the ball, keeping center fielder Joe LaFaudi and right fielder Joe Destefano busy during that stretch.

Belmont finally got the insurance runs it had been barking about since the first inning in the bottom of the sixth, coming from the bottom of the lineup. With one out, number 6 batter catcher Mike Giangregorio was hit by a pitch followed by left fielder Justin Rocha lacing a single down the third base line.

It was here Brown relied on “small ball” tactics with a bunt laid down by LaFauci scoring Giangregorio. A second bunt by Destefano loaded the bases after an attempted putout at third saw Rocha scrambling back to the bag. A pair of singles from Pergamo and Marintchev scored a pair each and that was the game as Belmont ran off to a 7-0 lead.

Brown said St. Mary’s which had a bye in the opening round, has all star pitcher Lee Pacheco waiting in the wings while Belmont will likely send out its top dog, Mike Brown.

“We’ll have to have a similar game in the field, with no errors, to stay in the game,” said Brown.

Tour Belmont’s Community Of Gardens On Sunday, June 9

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Photo: Stones on the Belmont Garden’s Cultivating Community garden tour.

The Belmont Garden Club invites the public to participate in “Cultivating Community – A Tour of Gardens” on Sunday, June 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The self-guided tour will include nine private gardens and the Woodlands Garden located at the Belmont Public Library representing the Belmont community.

There will be scheduled demonstrations at the garden stops on containers and floral design, composting, the work of the club’s junior gardeners, and music and art in the gardens.

Tickets are $30 before Sunday (available at Westcott Mercantile stores in Cushing Square and Belmont Center or from a Garden Club member at 617-484-4889) or $35 day of the tour (pick up at the Belmont Public Library).

Proceeds from the tour along with sponsorships will help provide the Belmont community with horticultural enhancements and the continued beautification of community spaces. It will also assist our club programs such as:

  • Junior gardeners,
  • gardening workshops at the Belmont Manor Nursing facility, and
  • scholarships presented to Belmont High School students.

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Belmont Playoff Teams Include Baseball At Home (Sort Of) And A Rugby Twofor

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Photo: Playoffs in Belmont for the next week.

Baseball will be playing in Belmont, just not where you hoped they would and both Rugby squads are hosting their semifinals as a doubleheader as Belmont High School sports teams are the the midst of tournament action.

On Thursday, June 6, the Belmont High School Baseball Team will host  Masconomet Regional in the MIAA Division 2 North Tournament. But the home game will not take place at Brendan Grant Field. Rather, the game will be played at the Belmont Hill School varsity baseball diamond off Marsh Street. The game begins at 3:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, June 12, Harris Field will be the location of a rare rugby doubleheader as Boys’ and Girls’ Rugby host respective state Division 1 semifinals as both Marauders squads are second seeds in the MIAA playoffs.

The Boys’ will take on Lincoln Sudbury Regional at 5:30 p.m. while the Girls’ hosts Needham at 7:30 p.m.

Belmont Farmers Market Opens Thursday, June 6, At 2 PM

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Photo: Ribbon cutting Thursday at 2 p.m.

Roy Epstein, Belmont’s newest member of the Select Board, will join Miss Tomato on Thursday, June 6 at 2 p.m. for the ceremonial ribbon cutting, bell ringing and a trumpet fanfare, to celebrate the opening of the 14th season of the Belmont Farmers Market.

Not only will residents and visitors have great local produce, baked goods, dairy, meat and fish, and prepared foods to purchase like all farmers’ markets have, but the Belmont Farmers Market is more.

,There will be storytime, performances for kids and grownups, community information, chats with friends and neighbors, and much more.

VENDORS ON OPENING DAY

  • Produce: C & M Farm*, Common Acre Farm*, Dick’s Market Garden, Hutchins Farm
  • Meat, fish & dairy: Hooked (Red’s Best & Boston Smoked Fish Co), Foxboro Cheese Co., Lilac Hedge Farm*
  • Bread, pastry & sweets: Dulce D Leche, Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery, Mariposa Bakery*, Tick Tock Chocolates*
  • Prepared foods: Del Sur Natural Empanadas, Deano’s Pasta, Just Hummus*, Tex Mex Eats
  • And more: Beverly Bees,*, When Life Gives You Lemons.
  • Indicates a new vendor in 2019. Find out more about all of our vendors.

EVENTS TENT

The market match government benefits to help all families take home great, local food: SNAP (Food Stamps), WIC (for moms & babies) and FMNP (for seniors). Most of our produce vendors accept HIP.

  • 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Music by The Soundchasers
  • 4 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Storytime for kids and grownups. Reading by our friends at the Belmont Public Library
  • 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Music by LBE Brass

COMMUNITY TABLE

  • 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Talk with Mary Beth Calnan, Belmont’s Recycling Coordinator. She can answer questions about Belmont’s plastic bag ban, and about trash, recycling and yard waste pickup.
  • Kim Foster of Community Growing: Plant a seed with your kids to take home while learning about gardening and Belmont Food Collaborative’s Community Growing program.

Ready For Your Close-Up, Mr. Williams

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Photo: Behind the scenes with Mr. Williams at Town Hall.

One, if not the sole, perk of being an ex-Belmont Selectman – if that title can be used one final time – it’s the honor of having a “goodbye” portrait hung in the Select Board Room of Town Hall.

Going back a century, the photos of residents who were elected to the executive branch of town government are placed in perpetuity on the walls overlooking the current members as the proverbial “judge over their shoulder,” giving wise guidance to those following them.

On Tuesday morning, Jim Williams, who served one eventful term on the board, arrived in the board room for his appointment with Belmont photographer Beth Ann Fricker of BAF Photography.

While he selected a more traditional tie rather than his favorite with sharks details, Williams – who is moving to Florida in the next few months – didn’t select a pair of paints for the session. If it’s a portrait they want, shorts will do the job just fine.

It’s not known if fellow ex-Select Board member Sami Baghdady showed up in shorts for his portrait later in the day.

Caps, Gowns and Beach Balls: Belmont High Class of ’19 Graduates 305

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Photo: Thumbs up on graduation, 2019.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday, June 2, the ranks of Belmont High School alumni grew by 305 when the Class of 2019 were proclaimed graduates of their new alma mater by Superintendent John Phelan.

In a packed and plenty warm Wenner Field House filled with family and friends wielding phones and cameras to capture the moment, the scarlet-robed graduate received their diplomas amidst cheers, speeches, motor boards thrown high in the air along with numerous beach balls that gave the ceremony the feel of a day in the Fenway Park bleachers.

Interim Belmont High School Principal Thomas Brow

The program began with Interim Belmont High Principal Thomas Brow recalling an incident with a small tree and an unnamed mischievous student when he was an assistant principal at the Chenery Middle School where he first met the class of ’19. In resolving the act of preteen vandalism in a quiet and private manner, Brow hoped the graduates will learn that “as you go on your life’s journey, you will have conflicts and challenges. The moral is it’s not the conflict that’s importanty, it’s how you handle it.”

“Please take that message on with you as you do great things with your life,” he said.

Brendon Hill, 2019 Belmont High School Class President.

The first of three student speakers, Class President and presenter of each graduate Brandon Hill celebrated achievements and events in the class’ shared history.

“There were a lot of memorable events the first day of freshman year. Showing up 20 minutes late to your Spanish class, and then claiming tp\o your teacher you thought you had a free.”

“Later on in life. When you think back to high school, and all the friends and memories that you created. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile, because you’re a part of something special,” Hill said.

Vassilios Kaxiras, recipient of the School Committee Award for
Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship

Vassilios Kaxiras, recipient of the School Committee Award for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship, the first of two academic honorees,

Speaking about “my knowledge of the people around me widened … every day I came to school. All 305 of us have was wildly different backgrounds as personalities,” Kaxiras said. “As a result, I’ve met countless people who shattered my stereotypes of countries I know visited. And I found a lot of interesting things I didn’t know anything about before. So just keep up. Perhaps because of this diversity, I’ve also found to be incredibly welcoming,” he said.

“Sometimes the best way to find your place in an unfamiliar world is to jump right in.”

Lara Zeng, recipient of the School Committee Award for
Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship.

The second academic speaker, Lara Zeng, recipient of the School Committee Award for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship, reflected on the now and the future to come.

“I’ve heard it said that when adults ask us what we want to be when we grow up, it’s because they themselves don’t know what the future holds. And they’re looking for advice and guidance from us because they’re just as lost as we are. This side of it might be scary. It’s a testament to how our lives are never set in stone,” Zeng said.

“But I think it’s empowering to remember that we will always have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves. We can always grow into whoever we want to be. We know who you are right now; students, athletes, artists, musicians, siblings, friends. Like the adults, we don’t have all the answers. We don’t know who we’ll be in the future. But I hope we never stopped learning.”

“Our high school experience has prepared us for whatever lies ahead. I am so honored to have grown up with you all and I can’t wait to see what you accomplish next,” she said.

After the speeches, for an hour each now former student attending the ceremony strode up to the podium, shook Phelan’s and a School Committee member’s hand, received their diploma from Brown before walking towards a new part of their lives.

And then hats were thrown in the air (along with four beach balls) when Phelan proclaimed they had satisfied their requirements to graduate before heading out of the field house and into the bright sunshine of a Sunday afternoon.

Groundbreakings, Part 2; DPW On June 4 And Police July 9

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Photo:

In the past month, the Town of Homes has transformed into a Community of Groundbreakings. After last week’s ceremony for the Belmont Middle and High School, its now the opportunity for additional municipal projects to have their own ribbon cutting.

The Department of Public Works/Belmont Police Department Building Committee is inviting the public and residents to a pair of ceremonial groundbreaking events:

• The renovation of the Department of Public Works facility will take place on Tuesday, June 4, at 8 p.m. at the DPW yard which is at the end of C Street.

The new construction and renovation of the Belmont Police Headquarters will happen on Tuesday, July 9, also at 8 a.m. at the headquarters located on the corner of Pleasant Street and Concord Avenue across from Town Hall in Belmont Center.