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

By Leave a Comment

• 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

By Leave a Comment

• 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

By Leave a Comment

• 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

By Leave a Comment

• 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

By Leave a Comment

• 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

By Leave a Comment

• 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.

Things to Do Today: Poet Burt at the Beech Street Center, Benton Storytime, Bates Touches New England

By Leave a Comment

• Belmont poet Stephen Burt, who literary critic Frank Bidart called “one of the most gifted poets of his generation,” will read from “Belmont: Poems” his highly-recognized collection inspired by his hometown from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. “Belmont: Poems,” received an NPR Best Book of 2013 and Publishers Weekly’s Top 10 Poetry Book of Spring 2013. His work was on the New York Times Book Review short list of best writing. Burt is a literary critic, poet, a professor of English at Harvard and a Burbank parent.
• Pre-School Storytime will be held at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
• Davis Bates who will be “Celebrating New England: Songs & Stories for Everyone” at 4 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. Bates, a noted chronicler who was called by the late Pete Seeger “… a fantastic storyteller” and a winner of a Parents’ Choice Award, will sing songs from the past and present, as well as tell ghost, Native American and farming stories. There will also be sing-alongs, and a lesson on how to play the spoons. Special appearance by a wooden dog named Bingo. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Belmont Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
• The Belmont School Committee will present and vote on the district’s fiscal year 2015 budget at 7:30 p.m. in the small community room at the Chenery Middle School.
• Belmont High’s Girls’ Outdoor Track team will take on Winchester High at 3:30 p.m. on Harris Field.

Things to Do Today: Bunker Hill, Playtime, Learning to Dance, HS Sports

By Leave a Comment

Another sunny, spring day in Belmont today, Friday, April 11:

• In conjunction with One Book One Belmont 2014, the Senior Book Discussion Group at the Beech Street Center will discuss” Bunker Hill” by Nathaniel Philbrick. The author of “Mayflower” and “In the Heart of the Sea,” tells the story of the first, and perhaps bloodiest, major battle of the Revolutionary War. All are welcome to attend this book discussion that begins at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. 

• Playtime, a drop-in, informal playgroup for toddlers and preschoolers, where both children and adults can meet new friends, will meet in the Children’s Room of the Belmont Public Library at 10:30 a.m. Call the Children’s Room at 617-993-2880 with any questions.

• A free demonstration on Learning to Dance will be held at 1:15 p.m. at the Senior Center at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Dance instructor Paul Hughes (www.ballroom-basics.com) will lead the demonstration. Participants will not need a partner to take the class.

• Lots going on in Belmont High sports: Girls’ Tennis takes on Winchester at the High School courts at 3:30 p.m., Baseball host Wakefield at 3:45 p.m. at Brandon Grant Field adjacent the High School and Boys’ Lacrosse return to Harris Field after defeating Stoneham to take on Reading at 4 p.m.

On they day in 1727, Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” premiered at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig.