Sports: Belmont Boys’ Hoops Wallops Woburn, Nears League Top

January 6, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Senior Joe Shaughnessy skies during game with Woburn.

Finally, Belmont High Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Adam Pritchard was happy.

His Marauders’ – which has come off a hard holiday schedule of games – had just comprehensively beaten Middlesex League leaders Woburn High, 75-54, Tuesday, Jan. 5, as his starters and the bench contributing on both ends of the court the entire night.

“All victories are good,” said Pritchard. “I never had a bad one.”

And this was a good one, as Belmont ups its record to 6-3 and 4-1 in the Middlesex Liberty Division, tied with Winchester and Woburn (5-2) and a half game behind 5-1 Reading.

The game – which began with senior co-captain Matt Kerans receiving a ceremonial basketball for scoring his 1,000 point this past Dec. 29 in a game vs. New Bedford – saw Belmont race off to the lead as Woburn has a bit sloppy with the ball and missed a few “bunnies” under the basket.

Senior shooting guard Cole Bartels led the charge offensively with 8 points in the first quarter including one of his long-range threes (he ended with a game-high 20 points) to give Belmont an 18-14 lead a the end of eight minutes. The Marauders would push the lead to double digits (38-27) at the half by out battling the Tanners under the basket and pushing up

The Marauders would press the lead to double digits (38-27) at the half by out battling the Tanners under the basket and pushing up the court with the ball. While junior Paul Ramsey (9 points) powered along the baseline for his 5 points (a three from the corner) in the quarter, senior tall forward Joe Shaughnessy (9 points) took advantage of Belmont’s height advantage to score a pair of put-backs for his five in the second, while reliable and versatile sixth-man junior Dylan Ferdinand scored 7 points in the game.

The second half saw Belmont put the gas on the pedal to score 19 – 8 coming from Kerans, who ended the night with 14, who drained a pair of threes and two free throws – in the third while holding the Tanners to almost half that.

The fourth quarter was the time for the bench to shine as eight players scored in the final eight minutes including senior Damian Bitsikas (2 points), junior Daron Hamparian (2 points), sophomore Tomas Donoyan (5 points), junior Ben Jones (2 points), senior Lowell Haska (2 points) and senior Yvrantzi Desravines (1 point).

Pritchard said Belmont’s cause was helped by the absence of Woburn all-star guard Brandon Mascat from the starting lineup.

But Pritchard praised the team that played great defense, started to run and had some offensive put backs.

“I like to think we are improving; that’s our ultimate goal,” he said.

Next for Belmont is a game Friday, Jan. 8, at winless Lexington. The game starts at 5 p.m.

The Big Wait: How Schools, Treasurer Prepare for State’s Decision on “New” High School

January 5, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High School.

The decision by the state to place the $100 million renovation and new construction project for a “new’ Belmont High School was greeted with cheers by school officials while one town official has taken out his green eyeshade and sharpened his pencil to determine how the town’s property owners will pay for the project “without going bankrupt.”

“[This is] [g]reat news from the MSBA!” said Laurie Slap, chair of the Belmont School Committee, on the Dec. 22 announcement by the Massachusetts School Building Authority that Belmont’s statement of interest made the final review for state funding.

Belmont joins 25 other new construction, renovation and repair projects from around the state that the MSBA staff recommended forward in the process to the MSBA Board for approval.

Roughly half of the “finalists” will be selected later this month by the authority to advance to being funded by the state.

“This is great news for … Belmont as it represents a unique opportunity for our community as we have submitted an application for this project, annually, for over ten years,” said Belmont District Superintendent John Phelan.

“Although this is not a final decision, it is very good to know that our proposal is moving forward in the process,” he said.

“Like many other communities, we will now await the final decision of the MSBA Board that will be rendered on Jan. 27,” he said.

Until that decision is rendered, the School Committee “will have to wait patiently” on the sidelines, said Slap. But her group and the Superintendent’s office is “ready to start moving all forward as soon as we hear a positive decision from the Board!” she said.

If the project is approved, “the School Committee will work with … Phelan, Belmont High School Principal [Dan] Richards, the Board of Selectmen and the Belmont community to reexamine the needs at the high school and follow the MSBA process for feasibility and design studies, etc.,” said Slap.

Phelan noted that he had “notified faculty and staff as well as … parents and guardians. Additionally, I spoke with Town Administrator David Kale, who will communicate this information to the Board of Selectman and Town Department Heads.

“The MSBA process is one that is very prescriptive and as the process evolves we will use their guidance to prepare and educate ourselves as to the ensuing phases,” Phelan noted. Those will include working closely with MSBA officials on costs and needs of the district.

While the school committee and district are excited, the town’s chief financial manager has been going over the numbers on the cost of securing a new school.

“As Town Treasurer and a 45 year Belmont taxpayer I have thought through the financing as not to bankrupt individual family property taxpayers,” said Floyd Carman who has been in his position for more than a decade.

“I assumed the MSBA will cover 30 percent of the cost of a new Belmont High School. That leaves $70 million for Belmont taxpayers to pay for a debt exclusion vote,” he said.

Carman has come up with a preliminary plan that will spread out the project’s financing “pain” over a decade, recommending borrowing three times within a ten-year Capital Plan:

2019: $30 million.
2021: $20 million.
2023: $20 million.

While many residents have been focusing on the future of Belmont High School, Carman said that people “can’t forget Minuteman Technical High School, which looks like an agreement with member towns, is close to an agreement.” And that agreement, which includes a new building for the Lexington-based vocational center, will come at a cost to Belmont.

Under the current agreement that Town Meeting Members will vote on in early February, the “potential debt service cost for Belmont will be $400,000 to $500,000 annually for 30 years,” said Carman.

Support BHS Science Team at Somerville’s Flatbread Co. Tuesday, Jan. 5

January 4, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: The website of the Belmont Science team.

Belmont High Schools teams don’t just show prowess on the sports fields and music venues but also the lab.

Belmont High’s Science team is ranked second out of 19 schools in the West Suburban Science League. And this year’s squad has an excellent shot to qualifying for the Massachusetts State Science Olympiad.

But what the team needs right now is a little help getting there. A big problem is collecting money since each club at the high school receives a small amount each year from the school district. And most of the money goes to travel costs. If the team can’t afford to go to the competitions, the students can’t qualify for the state or national tournament.

While the sports teams have the Belmont Boosters and musicians are supported by Parents of Music Students, there is no related group for budding scientists.

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, residents and students can show their support for the Belmont High Science Team by eating pizza, do some candlepin bowling, and winning awesome raffle prizes!

Flatbread Company in Somerville will donate about 20 percent of their proceeds from pizza sales between 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday to the club. The team will also be selling baked goods and raffle tickets at the door, with prizes including $20-$50 gift cards and products from Starbucks, Comella’s, Bolocco, Ben and Jerry’s, the Harvard Co-op, Origins, Marcou Jewelers and more.

So join the team for a night of fun, food, and fundraising!

Being Green Assists Belmont With Energy Savings at High and Middle schools

December 30, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Chenery Middle School.

Most residents know a significant amount of educational energy is produced by teachers, staff, and students at Belmont High and Chenery Middle schools.

What citizens may not realize is that the schools are also the greatest user of conventional energy in Belmont, consuming 50 percent of all power used in town buildings.

Any opportunity to reduce or conserve power there could go a long way to reducing the town’s carbon footprint and save taxpayers money, according to Gerald Boyle, Belmont’s director of facilities.

Thanks to a “green” energy grant that accompanied being designated by the state as a Green Community, Belmont’s heaviest users of energy will soon be retrofitted and installed with energy control systems with the aim of containing costs at both facilities by using electricity more efficiently.

The $151,000 grant will pay for the bulk of the $174,000 price tag – after energy credits, the town’s contribution is $11,000 – to install the systems, said Boyle before the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Monday, Dec. 28, at Town Hall.

“We look at the best use of our money, and we view this as collecting from low-hanging fruit,” said Boyle.

The new computerized systems will allow for greater control of the schools’ environments – cooling and heating could be operated and scheduled from the Facilities Department’s office in the Homer Building. It can also produce reports and data highlighting how specific systems components such as pumps, fans, and motors, are working and if repairs are needed, said Boyle.

According to Boyle and David Kale, town administrator, the payback will be immediate. Boyle predicts annual savings of approximately $17,000 at each school with total repayment within four and a half years.

Selectman Mark Paolillo questioned if placing the system in the High School was worth the cost as the building could be renovated beginning in the next five years. (Editor’s note: Last week the Massachusetts School Building Authority selected Belmont High in the final review round before it decides on which projects it will fund in late January 2016.)

Boyle said the systems can be incorporated into a newly-renovated building “so it will not be ripped out” when the renovation takes place.

The grant was part of the package Belmont received after being named one of the state’s Green Communities last December, which encourages energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and promote the town’s clean energy goals.

Belmont will also be eligible to apply for future grants – up to $250,000 each year –to fund local renewable power and energy saving projects.

Belmont became eligible to become a “green community” after meeting five criteria including:

committing to renewable energy-friendly zoning,
expedited permitting,
programs to reduce energy use by 20 percent within five years,
the purchase of fuel-efficient municipal vehicles, and
Creating an energy efficiency requirement – known as the “stretch” code – for new commercial/industrial construction, as well as residential construction of more than 3,000 sq.-ft. The Belmont Town Meeting adopted this code in May 2011.

As part of the application process, an energy audit by Marlborough-based Guardian Energy of all town buildings to review the lighting, water use, and windows was completed to create an energy reduction plan. Town conducted a detailed analysis of municipal buildings and the costs associated with meeting the Green Communities goals.

Funded by a regional cap-and-trade program, more than $30 million have been paid out to cities and towns since 2010.

Sports: Kerans Tops 1,000 Point Mark in Belmont’s 61-58 Win Over New Bedford

December 30, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Matt Kerans.

If there was a shot Matt Kerans would make to reach 1,000 points in his Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball career, it should be from beyond the arc.

The senior co-captain and pre-season Middlesex League All-Star reached the milestone off a trademark fall-away, three pointer in the Marauders’ 61-58 victory over New Bedford on the second and final day of the 2015 BABC Holiday Classic held at Cathedral High School on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

See the shot by going to the Middlesex Magic Twitter page.

The four-year starter scored a game-high 28 points in the win, raising Belmont’s record to 5-2 as the team prepares to meet league powerhouse Woburn High on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at the Wenner.

Kerans joins just a handful of Marauders’ on the 1,000 point club: Steven Pollard (’86), Mike Costello (’96), Mark Mulvey (’93), Timmie Barrows (’07), Larry Norman (’88), Asa Palmer (’93) and Kerans’ former teammate Adam Kleckner (’15).

Sports: Belmont Boys’ Hoops Bumped from Undefeated on Last Second Drive at Arlington

December 28, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont’s junior Dylan Ferdinand making a layup vs. Arlington.

It was not the way Belmont High Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Adam Pritchard wanted his team to prep before facing a pair of strong basketball squads in the Boston Amateur Basketball Club’s annual Holiday Classic in Boston over the holiday break.

An inspired game by host Arlington High School minus the solid games Belmont had been playing in the first four games of the season added up to a loss for the Marauders, knocking them from the undefeated.

Tied at 58 after a layup with 12 seconds remaining, Belmont’s defense could not contain Arlington’s junior guard Colin McNamara (a game high 17 points) who drove through the Marauders defense to score the winning bucket with 1.2 seconds left and give Arlington (4-1) the 60-58 win over Belmont (4-1) on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Pritchard didn’t mince words disecting the defeat.

“We played lousy defense, we didn’t box out. You lose by two points, you think it comes down to this and that. But flat out, right down to the last play of the game when [McNamara] beat us off the dribble. That play happened over and over again,” said Pritchard.

“I’m sure all our guys are disappointed but this game isn’t that complicated. You keep the guys in front of you, you box out, you limit them to one shot and that did not happen,” he said.

A close affair for the entire game, both teams came out guns ‘a blazing, scoring 18 points in the first quarter with seven Marauders getting on the scoring column led by senior shooting guard Cole Bartels (10 points) with a three and a two

The Marauders kept up the pressure in the paint in the second quarter as senior Luke Peterson (9 points) dropped in a pair of hoops as well as a free throw to contribute five of Belmont’s 12 points, giving the visitors a 30-27 lead at the half.

After the break, Arlington found its D and worked hard fronting Belmont’s players, limiting the Marauders to mostly outside shots. Senior point guard Matt Kerans (16 points) and Bartels each hit open threes but Belmont could only muster two other baskets while Danny Slebodnick led the SpyPonders with 7 points which tallied 16 points to Belmont’s 10 in the third, and falling behind the hosts ssssaasaby three, 43-40.

“They played better defence than us. It didn’t have anything to do with home or away,” said Pritchard.

The fourth stanza saw Belmont hanging around one to three points from the Arlington lead, cutting it to a single point, 54-53 with three minutes to play on a Justin Wagner layup.

After swapping a basket and a free throw (Belmont missed a third, 6 of 18, of their chances from the charity strip), a good defensive stance gave the Marauders the ball wth 26 seconds left. A drive by Kerans opened the court for junior sixth man Dylan Ferdinand (6 points) to hit a layup with 12 second remaining to tie the game.

Yet the basket wasn’t enough to secure a chance at overtime.

Belmont will spend the winter recess going against some heavy hitters in the Holiday Classic being held at Cathedral High School in Boston’s South End. Thirteen boys’ basketball teams, including three from out of state, will take part in the tournament.

Belmont opens the tourney vs. Everett at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 28 then taking on New Bedford at 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

Sports: Belmont Girls’ Hoops Remains Undefeated Behind Winklaar’s Big Night

December 25, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High co-captain Samari Winklaar.

In the last game of 2015, Belmont High senior co-captain Samari Winklaar went off like a New Year’s firework, scoring 15 points in the first half (half of the team’s total) on her way to a career-high 19 points as she spurred on her teammates to a 48-31 victory over hosts Arlington High School Spy on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

“I was waiting for my teammates to pass me the ball and taking them down early,” said the two-year starter.

The win ups the Marauders’ record to 4-0 has they head off into the winter recess. Waiting for them on the other side of the holidays will be a clash with undefeated and two-time Middlesex League Liberty Division Woburn High School.

“It will be a battle,” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart. “After a long layoff; that’s not great to face a great team. The main thing is to make sure that we’re tough mentally on offense because they’ll be tough on us defensively.”

Hart and her traveling army – she is currently carrying 18 players on the bench – came into Arlington High’s gym riding a three-game winning streak facing a team who lost its best player, Grace Carter, to a knee injury.

Belmont came out employing a swarming defense reminiscent of last year’s defense that made it difficult for Arlington to set up their offense.

Belmont jumped to a 9-3 lead on a drive by sophomore point guard Carly Chrisofori (9 points), two baskets (a runner and jumper off an offensive rebound) by Winklaar and a three point bomb by sophomore Jenny Call (6 points) before Winklaar ended the quarter wih a pair of buckets to see the lead streached to 13-3.

Winklaar took command of the offense in the second quarter, scoring on drives to the hoop and from jumpers, including a three in the second when she scored nine of the team’s 17 points, putting the game out of reach at half time at 30-10.

The second half saw Hart go down the bench, bringing in freshman Megan Tan (4 points) to defend the Arlington point guards and fellow frosh Jess Giorgio who, at 6’1″, did an effective job forcing the SpyPonders to alter their shot selection while chipping in with a basket from in close.

Sophomore Alexa Sabatino took over for Christofori and handled quarterbacking the squad while knocking down 3 points.

“We have a lot of girls who can really run and attack the defense,” said Hart.

“It’s a real strength that we have the kind of depth we do. If someone is having trouble shooting or in foul trouble, we have someone at every position. We have an answer to something, and that is really helpful,” she said.

Sports: Frosh Quartet Crush Record as Belmont Boys’ Swimming Begins Season

December 23, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: New Belmont record holders in the freshman 4×400: Sam Thompson, Damien Autissier, Luke Moore-Frederick and Ricky Ye.

In only their second competition as members of Belmont High School Boys Swim Team, a quartet of freshmen has already left its mark on the program.

Sam Thompson, Damien Autissier, Luke Moore-Frederick and Ricky Ye set a new 4×400-yard freestyle relay record of 3 minutes, 56 seconds in the team’s Dec. 18 meet at Lexington High School, chopping nine seconds off the old record (set 20 years ago in 1995) while breaking the four-minute barrier.

“Although they’re only underclassman, the team has high hopes and big expectations for its newest swimmers in the weeks ahead,” said Belmont High Boys’ Swim Head Coach Bobby Reardon, pointing to the many new and talented athletes who have joined the program this season.

In the first two meets of the year against Needham (69-103) and Lexington (73-92), the Marauders’ young swimmers were a bit over their heads against more experienced competition.

Already a few swimmers have placed themselves as those athletes who will be swimming well into the post season. Thompson qualified for states in the 200 (1:56.0) and 500 (5:18.09) yard frees winning both events against Lexington and Needham as fellow 9th grader Autissier finished second in the 500 (5:44.1) against Lexington.

Another Marauder touching first was Antony Bulat (1:12.11) in the 100 breaststroke with Ye in second (1:12.93) less than a second behind vs. Needham.

Owen Luo took second in the 50 yards free (24.65) and Luc Durand also picked up a second in the 100 butterfly (1:02: ) against the Rockets while Will Findlay took second in the 100 free going under a minute (55.05 vs. Needham) and then lowered his seasonal best to 54:81 against Lexington.

Taking a break from competition for the holidays, the squad is back in action Jan. 5 against Haverhill High School.

State Places $100 Million Belmont High Renovation in Final Funding Review

December 23, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High School

Ten consecutive times the state agency created to assist Massachusetts communities in financing new school projects rejected the Belmont School District’s request to renovate the increasingly threadbare high school building on Concord Avenue.

That dubious streak may finally come to an end in 2016 as the Massachusetts School Building Authority selected the nearly $100 million renovation of the 45-year-old Belmont High School and the construction of a new science wing as one of 26 projects across the state the authority has chosen for a final funding review.

“This is great news for the town of Belmont as it represents a unique opportunity for our community as we have submitted an application for this project annually for over ten years,” said Belmont District Superintendent John Phelan.

This year, nearly 100 Statement of Interests from nearly the same number of school districts were submitted to the MSBA, Authority spokesperson Matt Donovan told the Belmontonian two weeks ago.

The Authority will make its decision on which projects it will approve for eventually financing at its monthly meeting on Jan. 27, 2016. Last year, the MSBA selected 16 projects from a group of 28.

If picked, Belmont will enter a 270-day “eligibility period” in which the district and town will shape the building plan to meet state requirements.

Joining Belmont in the final group include neighboring Arlington which is seeking to renovate its 101-year-old high school, and Framingham’s Fuller Middle School. (Arlington has been requesting funding for only two years)

While being passed over by the MSBA for a decade, it did not come as a complete surprise that Belmont’s “time” for a final review was close at hand. In October 2014, a team of architects and engineers associated with the School Building Authority conducted a “senior study” of the 45-year-old brick and concrete structure, asking a lot of questions of school and town officials while poking around the building.

Proposed projects that receive a “senior study” are seen as having a high level of being recommended to “move forward with an invitation” of being in the final group.

If current trends continue, Belmont should be reimbursed by the MSBA for approximately a third of the total construction costs.

The renovation price tag based on an updated 2008 estimation of the 2004 masterplan which would include using a single general contractor over four years was $79.6 million. With eight years of inflation added to the 2008 figure, the total cost is now close to $100 million.

With a third coming from the MSBA, the total cost to Belmont taxpayers is likely to be in the $66 to $70 million range.

A MSBA-financed project similar to Belmont is taking place in Winchester where a new high school that includes three new buildings is currently one-third finished. The $131.9 million project received 34 percent state reimbursement, requiring Winchester to pass a $90 million debt exclusion.

Under the 2004 Belmont High School master plan revised in 2008:

Construction at the school will take place in four phases over four years so students will remain on the existing campus,
All construction will be held within the current 257,000 sq.-ft. footprint of the current building, and
A 34,000 sq.ft. modern science wing will be built in the proximity of the parking lot adjacent the Wenner Field House and the Higginbottom Pool.

The renovation of the five-decade-old school building is critical as it is currently “structurally unsound” and “jeopardize the health and safety of the school children,” according to Belmont’s 2014 SOI submitted to the MSBA.

With the building of a science center, which will add 13.5 percent more classroom and lab space to the school, “it will eliminate the existing severe overcrowding” at the school. The district is also predicting an additional 254 students at the high school by fiscal 2024.

The SOI notes that Belmont High School is in danger of losing its regional accreditation due to the “negative impact on students … to achieve a 21st Century learning experience” in a building where critical infrastructure are now “beyond its normal life span.” This year, more than a million dollars was directed to rebuild the school’s fire alarm system which is so dated there is a lack of parts to repair the mechanism.

This year, more than a million dollars was directed to rebuild the school’s fire alarm system which is so dated there is a lack of parts to repair the mechanism. Without the change, the Belmont Fire Department warned the building could be closed for safety.

Sports: Belmont Girls’ Basketball Goes 3 for 3 with 54-42 Win over Wilmington

December 22, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Senior Samari Winklaar at the free-throw line vs. Wilmington.

Belmont High Girls Basketball senior forward Samari Winklaar is not just a double threat; a defensive stalwart and one of the toughest forwards on the court. She is a triple talent: this young lady can sing!

Those in the stands during the opening announcements heard Winklaar give a soulful, emotional rendition of the National Anthem that would have knocked your socks off if you weren’t wearing shoes.

Winklaar then joined her fellow starters onto the court and played a big role in Belmont’s victory at its home opener, defeating Wilmington High School Wildcats, 54-42, on Monday, Dec. 21 at the “Wenner.”

Winklaar’s 13 points including a pair of baskets in the third quarter allowed the Marauders keep a double-digit lead through the second half for its first game in which Belmont did not see an offensive dip that occurred in the first two games. Its point production – 13, 15, 14 and 12 in each subsequent quarter – allowed Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart to include many players from her large bench which reach 17.

The Wilmington game also was the return of last season’s suffocating full-court defense that Belmont used to great effect in 2015’s playoff run. The result of the night’s pressure was that Wilmington did not have a player in double figures in points.

For the third consecutive game, sophomore point guard Carly Christofori quarterbacked the offense with her passing and her signature slashing move towards the basket resulting in 16 points. Her final six points – all in the final eight minutes – came from the free throw line, reminiscent of Christofori’s performance in last year’s sectional quarterfinals against Bedford.

Overall, Belmont went 19 for 23 from the charity stripe, an atypical result from a team that has at times struggled from the line.

Working hard at both ends of the court included senior co-captain forward/center Sarah Stewart with 9 points (7 in the first half) while matched up with Wilmington’s taller centers and freshman Megan Tan who took on the quickest Wildcat guards while contributing four points.

Due to fouls on the starters, Hart gave Belmont fans a glimpse of the future as she sent out Marauders tallest players, junior Margaux d’Arbeloff (6′) and freshman Jess Giorgio (6’1″).