Look Who’s Running: Town-Wide, Town Meeting Candidates on the Ballot

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The “almost” final list of candidates on the 2015 Belmont Town Election has been released by Town Clerk Ellen Cushman on Monday, Feb. 23, with the hopeful trend of increased participation for those seeking to become Town Meeting members.

The list is not yet a final because residents have until Thursday, March 5 to withdraw their candidacy by writing to Cushman.

The list of all candidates, both town-wide and for Town Meeting, can be found here at the Town Clerk’s web site.

In town-wide races, only the seat on the Belmont Board of Selectmen is being contested with incumbent Andy Rojas being challenged by Town Meeting Member Jim Williams.

Cushman said she is encouraged by the number of candidates for Town Meeting, with six of the town’s eight precinct with the requisite 12 candidates on the ballot. And of the two that failed to reach the dozen candidates, both precincts 3 and 7 – notorious for seeing seats go up for grabs – will only see a single three-year seat go down to write-in votes.

And if anyone in precincts 5, 6 or 7 is looking for a quick way onto Town Meeting, there are no candidates for the partial term seats last two to one year. Each of those seven seats will be filled either by write-ins or at precinct meetings before May’s Town Meeting.

Precinct 1: 15 candidates (10 seeking re-election, 3 newcomers) for three-year terms.

Precinct 2: 12 candidates (9 re-election, 3 newcomers) for three-year terms.

Precinct 3: 11 candidates (7 re-election, 4 newcomers) for three-year terms.

Precinct 4: 14 candidates (10 re-election, 4 newcomers) for three-year terms.

Precinct 5: 13 candidates (11 re-election, 2 newcomers) for three-year terms. No candidates for a one-year term.

Precinct 6: 13 candidates (10 re-election, 3 newcomers) for three-year terms. No candidates for a one-year term or a two-year term.

Precinct 7: 11 candidates (7 re-election, 4 newcomers) for three-year terms. No candidates for four, two-year terms.

Precinct 8: 12 candidates (9 re-election, 3 newcomers) for three-year terms. One candidate for one, one-year term.

Freshman Krafian Leads Belmont at Div. 3 State Indoor Track Championships

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Photo: Freshman Carey Allard handing off to anchor sophomore Marley Williams in the 4×200 meter relay in the MIAA Division 3 state championships held on Feb. 13, 2015.

Anoush Krafian has been on the high school track and field circuit for less than three months but the Belmont High School freshman has made it known that she is a young force to be reckoned with after a series of strong performances in league and class races.

On the biggest stage she’s been on so far on Friday afternoon at the MIAA Division 3 indoor track and field state championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, Krafian showed off her prodigious talents by nearly pulled off a stunning result, just miss winning a high jump state championship placing runner up to Chicopee High junior Mia Facchini. Facchini, Krafian and third place Meaghan Kelley from Tantasqua Regional High School all cleared 5 feet, 2 inches but their placements were determined by the number of jumps taken during the competition. 

With that second place and another great result in the 55 meter hurdles, Krafian led Belmont High School Girls’ Indoor Track and Field team to a 9th place finish totaling 19 points, 12 coming from the freshman.

Krafian was the only 9th grader in the entire 24 competitor field for the 55-meter hurdles, reaching the finals after qualifying in the top eight. In the finals against seniors and juniors, Krafian sped over the five hurdles to a fifth-place finish, breaking the line in 9.05 seconds, an event won by defending champ senior Isabella DiMare from Notre Dame Hingham (who also won the 55-meter dash and placed third in the 300 meters) who took the top spot in 8.57.

Belmont’s other points came in two relays with the 4×200 meter with sophomore Julia Cella, junior Meggie MacAuley, freshman Carey Allard and sophomore Marley Williams taking third in 1:48.34 and the 4×400 with sophomore Alexandra Bailey, senior Lizzie Frick, sophomore Jenna Magno and junior Katherine Ognibene coming home in 4:21.59 for eighth place.

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The Marauders brought a young team that could make considerably more noise next year as several individuals gained great experience:

  • Williams ran a 7.64 in the 55 meter dash.
  • Cella (43.02) finished 9th, Allard (43.29) 10th and MacAuley (44.38) 15th in the 300 meters.
  • Bailey finished 11th (1:42.19) in the 600 meters.
  • Sophomore Amelia Rasmussen ran a 3:13.36 in the 1,000 meters for 11th.
  • Klimasmith took 10th in the 2 mile in 12:16.62.
  • Joining Krafin in the hurdles were junior Samantha Kelts in 11th (9.63) and sophomore Rachel Berets in 18th in 9.8.
  • Belmont’s 4×800 relay (junior Meredith Hughes, Klimasmith, sophomore Ally Meringer and Rasmussen) ran a 10:21.3 for 11th.

Over in the boys’ meet, a pair of seniors scored the eight points placing Belmont in a tie for 19th place.

Owen Madden came home in 5th in the 300 meters in 37.18, five one-hundreths of second out of fourth while Ari Silverfine ran a 2:36.86 to take 5th in the 1,000 meters. Both of Belmont’s relay teams just missed the points by finishing in 9th: 4×800 meter team of seniors Dan Rizzo, Charles Smith and Silverfine along with freshman Zach Tseng in 8:33.93 and the 4×400 meter of seniors John Decoulos, Madden, Silverfine and freshman Calvin Perkins coming home in 3:40.58, just a hundredth of a second behind Stoughton in eighth.

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Photos: The Aftermath of Belmont’s Latest Winter Storm

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Sunday’s winter storm brought Belmont to a halt as more than a foot of snow was deposited on top of five feet of snow that has fallen in the past three weeks.

Belmont Girls’ Hoops Fall in All-Too-Predictable Fashion to Woburn, 55-41

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If basketball gave victories for defensive intensity, the Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball squad would have a nearly perfect record.

But the game is scored by the number of baskets made, not the ferocity in keeping balls from going through the hoop.

For Belmont, its stellar defense is being left unrewarded as its offense that has gone off the rails.

For the second consecutive game, Belmont was manhandled, on Friday by Woburn High School, 55-41; a score that does not indicate just how ineffective the Marauders’ scoring touch have become.

The offensive woes were evident by looking at the scorer’s sheet as Belmont could only hit 11 baskets in the game, a rate of less than three per quarter. In one stretch of the second half, Belmont went nearly nine minutes scoring only a single two-point basket.

In a repeat of its game against Arlington, the Marauders’ were run over in the critical third quarter. Woburn exploited Belmont’s tendency to attempt a majority of its shots close to the basket by intercepting forced passes into heavy defensive coverage or creating turnovers. In one sequence of plays, Belmont did not attempt a shot on five consecutive possessions as they turned the ball over attempting to funnel the ball under the basket.

After weathering a poor start in the first quarter and cutting a late second quarter Tanners lead (24-16) in half by half time (on two free throws each by freshman Jenny Call and senior Sophia Eschenbach-Smith), it appeared Belmont would put up a fight to keep its unbeaten home record intact when freshman point guard Carly Christofori hit a driving basket in the first few seconds of the second half to put Belmont behind by only a bucket at 24-22.

But in a little over five minutes, Woburn went on a 15-0 run as it clogged the passing lanes to punish Belmont’s attempts to get close to the basket. When Belmont did get into its defensive stance, Woburn would go over it with long jump shots as Woburn star senior forward Sam D’Angelo (18 points) hit four of the Tanners’ five three-point shots.

During the run, Woburn gambled on stealing Belmont passes, which they accomplished at a high rate, leading to several fast breaks and fouls. Woburn’s sophomore point guard Marissa Gattuso (19 points) made a pair of three-point plays by making the hoop while being fouled and hitting the extra shot.

A free throw from senior Elena Bragg (who for the fourth-straight game hit double digits in points with 13) stopped the bleeding with two-and-a-half minutes to play in the third. But the score was now 39-23, and the game was essentially done.

Belmont kept playing aggressive, scrappy defense throughout the remainder of the contest, but there was little to do, but listen to the loutish utterances of the Philistines, who traveled from Woburn.

Depending on the snow and rescheduling, the next game could be Tuesday against Lexington but that is far from certain.

Belmont Boys’, Girls’ Hoops Sunk in SpyPonder’s Court

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Both the Belmont High Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams returned home from their short trip to neighboring Arlington on Wednesday, Feb. 4, a little worse for wear as both Marauder squads were defeated by their SpyPond hosts.

The boys’ – with their entire varsity squad healthy and playing for the first time all year – nearly pulled off the upset against an undefeated Arlington team, but could not hold onto a second-half advantage as Arlington’s top player, who will be playing for Division 1 Syracuse next year – on the soccer pitch – lead the SpyPonders to the 65-56 victory.

Girls’ Head Coach Melissa Hart said recently the team’s most glaring flaw – this from a squad that thrives on defensive intensity – is giving up too many three-point buckets. That deficiency was highlighted Wednesday when Arlington stroke nine threes, including three consecutive treys by SpyPonder junior guard Margaret Ammondson (15 points) in the second quarter, to avenge a loss to the Marauders in January, winning in Arlington, 56-41.

Boys’ Hoops

The loss to 15-0 Arlington was there for the taking for the Marauders. Using its speedy backcourt of senior Ben Lazenby (7 points) and Matt Kerans (16 points), the outside shooting of the guards and junior sixth-man Cole Bartels (6 points) and senior forward Seth Altman (9 points) and keying off All-Star senior center Adam Kleckner (16 points), the Marauders lead after the first 17-16 and at the half, 34-32, as the game came was a give and take affair, much of it from beyond the three-point line.

In the third quarter, SpyPond senior forward Miles Robinson (21 points) – the soccer sensation who “likes” basketball – took center stage, running off eight consecutive points (3 hoops and 2 from the line) on Arlington possessions to lift his team to a 46-43 lead at the end of three.

But Altman came through early for Belmont in the final stanza, hitting inside and outside (a three pointer) to put the Marauders on top by two. But that man Robinson scored quickly and his compatriot, senior guard Josh Lee (22 points) made a steal and a bucket and then hit a big three pointer to give the hosts a 55-50 lead midway in the quarter.

Belmont cut the lead to three at 55-52 and in control of the ball when Robinson stole the ball once again for a layup to extend the lead to five. The next time downcourt, the Marauders coughed up the rock leading to another uncontested hoop and the ball game.

The Boys will host Woburn, who stunned the Marauders in January by going on a 9-0 run in the final 90 seconds to win at Woburn High School.

Girls’ Hoops

In Hart’s eyes, Arlington stepped up their game since the last time they encountered the Marauders – in which Belmont came back from 9 down in the third to win – who unfortunately decided to have its poorest all-round game of the season.

“Not our best game,” said Hart. “But Arlington played very well.”

Arlington came to play, taking off to a 19-4 first quarter lead with that included 3 threes – two from Grace Carter (11 points) – with the Marauders scoring through forwards junior Sarah Stewart (2 points) and Elena Bragg who finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds on another productive night for the senior.

Belmont made its run in the second quarter as Belmont held Arlington to eight points – although they gave up the first six points of the half – and squeezed in 16 of their own. Junior forward Samari Winklaar (5 points) and senior point guard Sophia Eschenbach-Smith (6 points and 5 assists) each hit two buckets to trim the lead to 27-20.

Belmont got the lead down to three points at 27-24 early in the third but there would be no comeback for the Marauders this time around as Ammondson hit her three straight threes, as the SpyPonders put up two more threes in the quarter to run off to an insurmountable 46-26 lead at the end of three.

Next up for the Girls’ will be a rematch with one loss Woburn on Friday, Feb. 6, at home, where the team is undefeated.

Sold in Belmont: Did Location Unfairly Depress Oak Street Bungalow?

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

• 16-18 Dalton Road. Framed two-family (1920) Sold: $938,000. Listed at $895,000. Living area: 3,790 sq.-ft. 15 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths. On the market: 83 days.

• 4 Oak St. Early Bungalow (1899), Sold for: $661,000. Listed at $849,900. Living area: 1,9 sq.-ft. 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 321 days.

The house on the corner of Oak Street and Concord Avenue is likely one of the earliest examples of a bungalow-style residence in these parts. The popularity of the design didn’t begin to take hold around the country for at least a decade after this single family was built in 1899, just a couple of years after the road was laid out. With a little more digging, the Oak Street structure could discover that it has architectural, historical significance.

Despite its age, it appears to have held up well – there’s an active television antenna on the roof – with many of the rooms retaining beautiful wood and plaster ornamentation, especially the dining room with the original lower decor molding. It was last sold in 1988 for what was then close to the average value of a Belmont house.

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Despite having a lot going for it, especially for a young family seeking a Belmont address, the owner could not give this house away. Trotted out for last year’s spring selling season, this 115-year-old house soon resembled the Tom Petty song: “Free Fallin’.”

Original: 3/13/2014: $849,900

4/1/2014: $819,900

4/23/2014: $799,900

5/14/2014: $779,900

6/19/2014: $759,900

7/9/2014: $749,900

8/6/2014: $699,900

Sold: $661,000.

Sure, the initial listing price was ambitious – the town assesses the property at $747,000 – but despite the demand for housing in and around the median price of residential property in the “Town of Homes,” this bungalow only found its floor after losing a quarter of the proposed sale price. That’s a free fall.

Is it that 1,900 square feet isn’t enough livable space anymore? The lack of a large backyard? Being too close to the High School? Or was it that twice each weekday, Concord Avenue is filled with a boatload of vehicles cutting through town for the outer suburbs? Whatever the reason, this early bungalow was bought cheaply.

After Statement Win, Belmont Boys’ Hoops Tumbles to Reading, 76-73

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At the beginning of the 2014-15 season, Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Adam Pritchard said the Middlesex League was so competitive “any team, no matter their record, can win on any given night.”

Pritchard’s words were particularly prophetic on Friday, Jan. 30, as his tournament-bound Marauders were taken down by a  three-win Reading Memorial High School squad, 76-73, in Belmont’s Wenner Field House.

The loss came just six days after Belmont defeated one of eastern Massachusetts’ top-ten teams and 2013 State Champions, Boston’s Brighton High, 79-65, on Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Martin Luther King Invitational at Boston’s Wentworth Institute.

With big man senior Adam Kleckner (22 points) and junior sixth-man Cole Bartels (9 points) back in the squad, the Marauders’ blew the game open in the third quarter as Belmont behind speedy junior shooting guard Matt Kerans (26 points, 10 assists) rained five three point shots (three from senior forward Seth Altman who finished with 14 points) to outscore the Bengals, 28-15, while its smothering defense kept Brighton’s 6-foot, 6-inch senior center Jason Jones (23 points) to 4 points in the quarter.

So it was not unexpected Friday night that Belmont would rush out to a 24-13 lead (10 points from Kleckner) on a Bartels three-point shot with two minutes left in the first quarter. In their earlier encounter this year, Belmont increased its lead throughout the game and cruised to a 58-41 victory at Reading.

Then, as if the team was sent outside to play, the Marauders’ shooting fell into the deep freeze, just as Reading began hitting the first of five three-point buckets in the half. Led by junior guard Chris Merullo (14 points – who hit three of his four three pointers during the run) and junior strong forward Jared Thorpe-Johnson (8 of 18 points in the second quarter), the Rockets went on a 27-3 run to take a 40-27 lead with 3:47 remaining in the half.

A Kerans three pointer (16 points) started a mini comeback that cut the lead in half by half time, 44-37. Yet with the exception of Kleckner (24 points) who had eight points in the third (6-6 from the charity stripe), Belmont simply could not find the basket with many in-close shots rimming out. Bur at the same time, Reading’s hot-hand cooled off considerably – thanks to a tight, suffocating full-court press – and Belmont was able to cut the lead to one, 50-49, with a minute remaining in the third.

But on its next trip down the court, Reading’s senior captain Mike Algeri (20 points) came to life, hitting three free throws after being fouled attempting a three point shot. Kerans’ late drive and hoop cut the Reading lead to two points, 53-51, at the end of three.

Early in the fourth quarter, a pair of free-throws from Kleckner and two baskets from Kerans gave Belmont a one-point lead at 59-58 and it appeared the Marauders’ had final found a way to victory. Two in-close baskets by Thorpe-Johnson and a three-point shot from Algeri gave the Rockets a 64-61 lead until senior Ben Lazenby’s (10 points) three tied the score at 64.

The game then swung back and forth with a Kleckner hook shot getting Belmont within a single point, 69-68, with 2:24 left. Seconds later, senior guard Jaemar Paul stole the ball but three shots from under the basket failed.

It was another senior, Reading’s Algeri, who did come up big, hitting an three from NBA-distance with less than a minute to give the Rockets, 74-71. A Kerans driving two pointer and a defensive stop gave Belmont the ball with less than 30 seconds remaining. But a long-distance, three-point shot by Kerans hit the rim and Algeri made both free throws after he was fouled to put Reading up by three with 2 seconds left. All chances for a last ditch shot ended for Belmont when the inbound pass hit a Belmont player in the foot and it went out-of-bounds.

Belmont’s next opponent will be at league leading Arlington on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

Belmont Girls’ Basketball Puts Up A Pair of Wins to Reach 6-3

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After consecutive road losses to powerhouse teams in the Middlesex League, the Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball team last week reeled off a pair of victories to see its record jump to 6-3 overall and 5-3 in the league. 

On Thursday, Jan. 15, Belmont outscored an undermanned Waltham High School team 28-10 in the third quarter to sail by the Hawks, 67-49, at Wenner Field House. 

Tied 28-28, the Marauders’ used its quickness and ball hawking skills on defense to tire the nine-man Waltham squad, sparked by freshman point guard Carly Christofori who in a final three minutes of the third put on a one-woman show, pouring in 8 of her 12 points, stealing the ball on back-to-back plays, rebounding and caused two fouls to be committed against her aggressive play.

On one play in the sequence, Christofori ran down an errant pass and lunged to keep the ball inbounds and then scored on the subsequent foul.

“I was just trying to help the team by playing hard,” said Christofori. 

Playing her best game of the season on both ends of the court, senior center Linda Herlihy put in 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and 3 block shots while junior guard/forward Irini Nikolaidis hit for a career high 19 points, going 9 for 11 from the charity strip.

On the next night, the Marauders’ got by a one-win Winchester High team, 47-32, in a game an assistant coach of Head Coach Melissa Hart described as “one that you are not going to write home about.”

The quick turnover saw Belmont struggle to get any rhyme or reason to either the offense (no player hit double digits in scoring as Herlihy threw in 9 for the team lead) and defense for the night. It took the insertion of junior guard Samari Winklaar to lift the team’s defensive presence while scoring some much needed outside shots (4 of her 5 points in the quarter) to propel the team to a 10 point lead (24-14) at the half.

“I go in and do what ever [Hart] asks me to do; that was shooting and play strong on defense,” said Winklaar, who said she is becoming more comfortable with her teammates “as I get to know how they play and where they are [on the court.]”

With the game in hand after the Marauders scored 15 points in the third quarter while holding the Sachems to 7, Belmont was able to empty the bench, allowing several players significant minutes on the court. And out there, junior Sara Lyons put in a runner in the paint for 2 points, junior Ani Maroyan stroked a three from the outside, sophomore Mary Kate Egan battled for her 2 points and freshman Gretta Propp hit a jumper and three free throws before leaving the game with a lower-leg condition.

This Weekend: Chamber Music, Snapshots and Flying Nelsons

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• The Powers Music School is holding the 2015 Stein Chamber Music Festival on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 5 p.m., at All Saints’ Church, 17 Clark St.  The festival is a musical celebration that gives area musicians an opportunity to perform and enjoy chamber music. The festival includes music of all genres performed by musicians of all ages, ranging in abilities from beginning students to amateurs and professionals.

• The 14th annual Brendan Grant Wrestling Tournament is taking place on Saturday Jan. 10 from noon to 6 p.m. at Belmont High School’a Wenner Field House.  Last year thirteen high school wrestling teams competed in this all day tournament.  Previously referred to as the Belmont Invitational Wrestling Tournament, for the last 34 years this event has become one of the classic High School Wrestling gatherings of its kind in the Northeast region with approximately 600 attendees throughout the day.

• The Belmont Gallery of Art is presenting for its latest exhibit, “Photovoice: A Lens into Our Lives,” on Sunday, Jan. 11 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex at 19 Moore St.

Belmont Girls’ Hoops Torrid Second Half Key to Comeback Win over SpyPonders

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A combination of their hallmark hard-nose defense and a season’s best scoring effort highlighted a come-from-behind victory as Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball upped its record to 4-1 as the Marauders defeated neighboring Arlington High School, 62-54, in a clash of one-loss teams at the Wenner Field House on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

“They are a very good team with five who can score so this is a good win,” said Melissa Hart, Belmont’s head coach after her charges came back from a nine-point deficit (34-25) early in the third quarter to take a four-point lead (44-40) at the end of the quarter by going on a titanic 21-6 run by mixing their stiffling brand of ball-dogging pressure defense, winning rebounds all the while going on a scoring spree led by Irini Nikolaidis scoring 11 of her team high 16 points in the third.

“[Nikolaidis] was enormous on both ends of the court,” said Hart, as the defensive specialist was able to drive the lane countless times to receive the ball from senior point guard Sophia Eschenbach-Smith who dished out 10 assists and created three steals to go along with two points.

Unlike their three consecutive wins against league opponents, the SpyPonders entered the game with a winning record (5-1), a capable backcourt, a large center and players who could hit from the perimeter. After going ahead early, Belmont found it difficult corralling the SpyPonders’ shooting guard, junior Grace Carter (8 of her 13 points in the first quarter) and in the second quarter Arlington’s center, Mallory DeFeo (8 points of her game high 18 in the quarter).

With the rest of the team’s scorers falling silent, the Marauders were kept in the game by excellent shooting from freshman Jenny Call who went 4 for 5 shooting from the outside, scoring 8 of her 11 points in the quarter.

“I have to be ready when I get into the game to contribute,” said Call after the game.

Trailing at the half (28-21) for the first time since the opener at Watertown, Belmont began the comeback behind its active defense – the team finished causing an astonishing 19 turnovers by Arlington – and the ball handling of freshman Carly Christofori (who kept exploiting the SpyPonders’ defense to find teammates under the basket including senior forward Elena Bragg (4 points) and senior center Linda Herlihy (3 of her 7 points in the third).

The comeback was secured by Belmont’s edge under the boards as Bragg, Herlihy and Sarah Stewart (8 points) each who took down four rebounds.

Belmont upped the lead to 10 twice only to see the SpyPonders reduce it to four in the final two minutes but Christofori sealed the win with a three point shot and going 6 for 8 from the free throw line.

“We needed a game like this, where we have to fight back into the game, before going to Woburn,” said Hart, referring to Friday’s match with the undefeated leaders of the Middlesex League in Woburn.