What’s Coming This Week: Ice Cream and a Mad Scientist at the Beech, Chef Gerry Returns Again

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• Another sign that summer is nearly over: the return of the Belmont Board of Selectmen! It is meeting on Monday, August 18 in Town Hall at a special early time of 6 p.m. On the agenda: an update on the storm water regs and a presentation for a Belmont Veterans Memorial project.

• Meet Belmont’s new school super as John Phelan holds a open house coffee for all residents at the School Administration building in the Town Hall Complex in Belmont Center on Monday, August 18 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

• Come to one of the final Summer Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library – at the corner of Oakley and Old Middlesex – on Tuesday, August 19, at 10:30 a.m. Story time will be hosted by summer intern Lenora Ellison or Denise Patnod for children ages 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must be present. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required.

• 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 19 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.

• The Belmont Public Library is providing one-on-one Digital Library Help on Tuesday, August 19, from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, August 20 at 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.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.

• A genre party for the Belmont Public Library’s Children’s Summer Reading Program will take place in the Assembly Room on Wednesday, August 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• It’s an Ice Cream Social and Mad Science Extravaganza for all Belmont residents as the Beech Street Center welcomes back the Mad Scientist on Friday, August 22 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Children will be dazzled and entertained as they interact with the Mad Scientist, whose show includes foggy dry ice and demonstrations of floating beach balls in the air. He will unlock the mystery of how to get “Egg-bert” back into his house using suggestions from the audience. Ice cream will be served at 1:30 p.m. and the entertainment will begin at 2:30 p.m. Suggested donation: $1. Tickets are available for 160 people. reserve by calling 617-993-2970 or come by in person.

 

Beech Lot Closed: Parking Area Resurfaced This Week

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Most people know the Beech Street Center as the home of the Council of Aging, where events and concerts take place and, for one day, a center of attention on election day 2012.

It is also known for a number of the neighbors as a place to stash their cars overnight.

But beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 13 and running through Sunday, Aug. 17, the lot will be closed so the parking area can be resurfaced for the upcoming winter season.

Belmont Police wants to public to know that any vehicles left on the site after 11 p.m, on Wednesday will be towed.

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.

The Week Ahead: Yoga for All on Tuesday, Animals at the Library Wednesday

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• Noon movies for children on Tuesday, July 29, noon to 1 p.m., in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

  •    The Empty Pot
  •    The Mysterious Tadpole
  •    Caterpillar and the Polliwog
  •    Bats at the Library
  •    Cook-a-Doodle-Doo

• The Massachusetts Senior Medicare Patrol, a state-wide consumer educational organization that helps Medicare and MassHealth (Medicaid) beneficiaries to protect against, detect and report healthcare errors, fraud and abuse, will be at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, July 29, 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. MSMP provides education, guidance and assistance to beneficiaries and their caregivers to navigate the system such as help with issues such as resolving billing and healthcare quality queries and providing referrals as needed.

• Einstein’s Workshop program for Young Adults will be exploring hydraulics on Tuesday, July 29, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Each participant will make and take home their very own hydraulics lift. To register, go online or call 617-993-2870.

• Yoga for everyone at the Beech Street Center from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28: join Susan Harris, a registered yoga teacher and associate professor of Nutrition at Tufts University for this Iyengar-inspired class which practices yoga postures slowly and with attention to alignment and safety, adapted to the abilities and needs of individual students. Practice is done with bare feet; mats and props are provided. Cost: $15/class. Non-seniors, beginners and experienced are welcome. This is a non-Council on Aging class held at the Beech Street Center. For more information, call Susan at 617-407-0816.

• Visit with wondrous animals from all over the world with the program Creature Teachers on Wednesday, July 30, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. This live animal program will educate and entertain. 

• The Belmont High School Teen Techs are back at the Belmont Public Library to help residents and patrons who are looking for help with computers, the internet, e-readers, tablets and the hows and whys of the social media world. The crew will be doing their tech wizardry from 11 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, July 30 in the Young Adult Room. Register online, stop by the reference desk to register in person or call 617-993-2870 to register by phone.

• Beloved local musician Liz Buchanan performs original songs and traditional favorites on Thursday, July 31, 10:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

What to Do Today: Judy and the Jitterbugs at Payson Park, Will at the Beech

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• Judy and the Jitterbugs, one of the BEST children-music bands in the US, will be performing at noon at Payson Park as part of the Payson Park Music Festival’s Kiddie Concerts. This is a concert – thanks to a generous contribution from Ralph and Sherry Jones – especially made with kids in mind so what better way to start the weekend then to stop by for songs, dancing and a lot more. See them today or you’ll need to travel to Brooklyn for next week’s shows.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., at 10 a.m. 

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

• Remember that town offices will be closing at 1 p.m. on summer Fridays.

What to Do Today: Making Rubber Band Bracelets, Beech Street Talent Show

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• Here’s a rainy day event: Einstein’s Workshop program for Young Adults (for kids 10 and older) will be making “Rubber Band Jewelry: The Rainbow Code” in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library beginning at 7 p.m. Discover how to make rubber band bracelets without a loom, learn a few tricks to encode hidden messages in the bracelet and even begin to write your own. Registration is required so call 617-993-2870.

• The Benton Library at Oakley and Old Middlesex will have pre-school summer story time at 10:30 a.m.  For children 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must be present. Siblings may attend with adults.

• The Beech Street Center is holding its second annual Talent Show at 1:15 p.m. It was a great event last year so come by and enjoy singing, dancing, reading poetry and a lot more.

• The Belmont Public Library will be holding “Noon Movies for Children” at noon in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. The movies this week are:

  •    Bebe Goes Shopping
  •    Bebe Goes to the Beach
  •    All the Colors of the Earth
  •    The Foolish Frog
  •    Over in the Meadow
  •    Chicka Chicka Boom, Boom
  •    Roxaboxen

Things to Do this Week in Belmont: ‘Joyeux Le Quatorze Juillet!’, Talent at the Beech

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• Monday, July 14, is Bastille Day, the national holiday of France. But the French themselves don’t call today “la fête Bastille.”

Today is simply known as “la fête du 14-juillet” – the July 14th holiday – or more officially, “la fête nationale” – the National Holiday. In 1880, the French decided to celebrate a national holiday; July 14th eventually won out because it was the day of la Fête de la Fédération, a joyous celebration in 1790 that honored the new French Republic and commemorated the one year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille.

So the day is a holiday mostly concerning national pride and the values “liberté, fraternité, and égalité,” with a extravagant military parade in Paris, picnics, parties and fireworks. As for Belmont – yes, the town’s name is Old French for “beautiful mountain” – you can find some decent macaroons at LA Burdick Chocolate in Harvard Square.

• The Benton Library at Oakley and Old Middlesex will have pre-school summer story time on Tuesday, July 15 at 10:30 a.m. 

• The Beech Street Center is holding its second annual Talent Show this Tuesday, July 15 at 1:15 p.m. It was a great event last year so come by and enjoy singing, dancing, reading poetry … and who knows what else?

• The Belmont Public Library will be holding Noon Movies for Children onTuesday, July 15 at … noon in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• Einstein’s Workshop program for Young Adults (for kids 10 and older) will be making “Rubber Band Jewelry: The Rainbow Code” on Tuesday, July 15 in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Discover how to make rubber band bracelets without a loom, learn a few basic codes, and even begin to write your own! Registration is required so call 617-993-2870.

• Vermont’s PuppeTree gives a new twist to the classic Leo Lionni picture book “Swimmy” with a puppet show at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16 in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.
• Learn your favorite tune in sign language as Sheryl White of Baby Kneads signs songs, stories and rhymes in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 17. 

• It’s game day this Friday at the Beech Street Center as it holds “Tea and Games on the Patio” on Friday, July 18 at 1 p.m. There will be scrabble, checkers, cribbage and Trivial Pursuit along with iced tea and some cookies.

What’s Happening This Week: Starbucks Relocation (Part 3), Jenny the Juggler

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• The big meeting this week will occur at the Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday, July 9 at 7 p.m. as the board hears from the representatives of the Cushing Village complex in Cushing Square that wants to relocate for just about a year the Starbucks Cafe from its current location in the heart of Cushing Square to a temporary site at the corner of Belmont Street and Trapelo Road. This marks the third time the board will hear from the developer, Chris Starr of Smith Legacy Associates, and from residents who are concerned of parking, traffic and trash. If you stay after this part of the meeting, the board will take up a petition of a Hammond Road resident who wants to install a deck with a hot tub. My word!

• For people who live on School Street, the meeting of the Belmont Historic District Commission on Tuesday, July 8 at 7 p.m. should interest you as the commission will discuss the creation of a School Street Historic District. They will discuss the housing inventory in the proposed area.

• Tuesday Noon Movies at the Belmont Public Library on Tuesday, July 8 at noon will include:

  •    Pete’s a Pizza
  •    I Love You Like Crazy Cakes
  •    Three Cheers for Catherine the Great
  •    Pictures for Harold’s Room
  •    Corduroy

• Explore Israel through the memories and slides of Grace Taylor, Nava Niv-Vogel, and Dena Ressler at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, July 8, 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Grace will share highlights from her trip and from her visits to the Christian sites. Nava will talk about her last trip this past May, some major places of interest and how they’ve changed since the time she lived there as small child, and Dena will share images of street scenes through the eyes of a newcomer during her first trip there in 2008. Bring your curiosity!

• Jenny the Juggler, Boston’s only professional female juggler, will be at the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, July 9 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. to amaze everyone with her killer skills. You may even leave with a balloon animal!

• Matt Heaton brings music for preschoolers which is full of kid-friendly folk and surf-inspired original songs.  Come see why he is called the Toddlerbilly Troubadour on Thursday, July 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Belmont Public Library.

• The monthly movie at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., is “Forrest Gump” which will be screened on Friday, July 11, at 1 p.m. The 1994 American epic romantic comedy, which won six Academy Awards, was directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, and Sally Field.

The Week to Come: The Beech Welcomes Lincoln, Kids Movies at Noon Oldies at Payson Park

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• It’s the return of Belmont Public Library’s Summer Noon Movies for Children. Join the staff of the Children’s Room for the following short films on Tuesday, July 1 at noon (that’s why they are called “Noon Movies”) in the library’s Assembly Room :

  •    Is Your Mama a Llama?
  •    Changes, Changes
  •    Happy Birthday Moon
  •    Cat & Canary
  •    Chrysanthemum
  •    Monty

• What better way to usher in Independence Day by reflecting on one of the most famous speeches in American history with Belmont’s Al Smith who is an expert on the war, a valued speaker in venues around the country and has founded or been a charter member of many Civil War roundtables in Massachusetts. The special talk, “Abraham Lincoln: New Reflections on the Gettysburg Address,” will take place on Tuesday, July 1, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. This free event is open to everyone in the community.

• The Belmont Public Library is providing two one-on-one Digital Library Help session this week; on Tuesday, July 1 from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, July 2 from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.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. on Wednesday, July 2, at the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech St. Every Wednesday the club holds American Contact Bridge League-sanctioned games. All are welcome to play. Cost is $7. Phone: 339-223-6484 for more information.

• The Belmont Public Library will be holding a “Drop-in Crafts for Children” on Wednesday, July 2, from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room. The library provides the supplies, you’ll have all the fun!

• The Reminisants are back at the Payson Park Music Festival on Wednesday, July 2 at 6:45 p.m. at Payson Park playground. The group has been entertaining audiences of all ages throughout New England since 1973. The band specializes in music from the 1950’s through the 90’s, playing a collection of great music for all kinds of musical tastes and generations.

• This Thursday’s Story Time at the Belmont Public Library will have a 4th of July theme: “Red, White, and Blue Storytime.” Celebrate America’s birthday with stories and a craft inspired by the colors of our flag on Thursday, July 3, in the Assembly Room from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Week Ahead in Belmont: Chenery Courtyard Celebration, Climate Control and Curry

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• The Belmont community is invited to the 10th annual Chenery Courtyard Celebration of the Arts, taking place on Tuesday, June 3 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., come rain or shine, in the Chenery Middle School courtyard. Theatrical and musical performances by Chenery students and the Belmont Senior Center’s The Bellaires will accompany the artwork by the Chenery students inspired by the courtyard gardens. Refreshments will be served.
• Attract butterflies and other pollinators to your garden by choosing host plants at “Pollinator Gardens – Buzz and Flutter” hosted by the Massachusetts Audubon’s Habitat Sanctuary’s Barbara Brown at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, June 3 from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Learn a bit about some common plants and flowers and their connection to butterflies. This talk is open to the entire community.
• The Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau Clinic is coming to the Beech Street Center on Friday, June 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Services are free if you are over 60 and a resident of Belmont, Brookline, Waltham, Watertown and other surrounding communities. Appointments are 15 minutes long. Among the issues they handle are: Public Benefits (SSI, SSDI, MassHealth), housing, divorce, custody, child support, elder issues, and issues related to low-moderate income entrepreneurs. They can refer you to other resources if you need further assistance.
• Chenery Middle School students: Bring your homework by the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on early Wednesday, June 4 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. for lemonade and cookies. This is for middleschoolers only!
• The annual meeting of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library will be held Thursday, June 5 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.
• Sustainable Belmont in conjunction with Boston Metrowest Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Control will be holding a talk at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Saturday, June 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help Belmont residents learn about creating a stable climate.

• The Powers Music School will be holding their All-School Recitals throughout the day on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8 at the All Saint’s Church at the corner of Church and Common streets.
• Learn what 1.2 billion people already know: making Indian food is both simple and tasty. Learn about creating one-pot Indian meals at a cooking demo with Kathy Chandrakasan and Priya Senthil at the Beech Street Center on Friday, June 6 from 1:30 p.m. They will show how simple the preparation of an Indian (vegetarian) entrée can be – with only a few herbs and spices.