Breaking: Ohlin’s Bakery Leaving Cushing Square, Seeking Help to Find New Home

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Photo: The Klemm family – Paul Jr., Paul, Marybeth, and Emily – who own and run Ohlin’s Bakery in Cushing Square.

After 101 years in Belmont, the legendary Ohlin’s Bakery at 456 Common St. is leaving its longtime home in Cushing Square for good, according to a Facebook message from its owners.

Saying they are “extremely shocked and disappointed,” owners Paul and Marybeth Klemm said despite “trying our hardest to reopen in our original location” … “[w]e were told by our landlord that this is no longer possible.”

In the message written on the store’s social media site Thursday, Nov. 10, the couple who live in Burlington said the decision “has been very depressing and we feel so lost and sad.”

Comments to the news from fans of the store and friends of the Kleems are supportive of the business which celebrated its centennial in 2015.

“This is oh so devastating for your family and all of your loyal customers,” wrote Andrea Taylor. “We will always support you!!”

The bakery, which was recognized yearly for having Boston’s best donuts, has been closed since an early morning explosion on March 15 heavily damaged the bakery section of the store.

Despite working with the landlord and insurance representatives, the cost of repairing the building and modernizing the aging equipment and ovens to bring them up to current building and fire codes was prohibitive. Even a GoFundMe page set up by a long-time friend of the business to raise $50,000 could not close the gap.

The Kleems are now appealing to customers and friends to help the couple find a new location close to the original site. So far they have looked at many places in Belmont, Watertown, Cambridge, and Arlington with the hope of securing a storefront with ample parking “and REASONABLE and AFFORDABLE RENT!”

So far, fans are requesting the store open shop in Waltham and Arlington. But mostly, customers such as Maggie Schulz told the Kleems that “[a]nywhere you go, my family will be there!”

New Belmont High Project Enters Feasibility Stage After State’s OK

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Photo: The current high school building.

The Belmont High School renovation project passed its eligibility stage with flying colors on Nov. 9 and will begin the phase that brings the multimillion dollar proposal closer to a bricks and mortar reality.

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s board of directors “invited” Belmont and seven other school districts to collaborate with the authority in conducting feasibility studies for a “potential” school construction projects, according to State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who is also the chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

“These feasibility studies will carefully examine potential solutions to the issues identified at the school facilities and will help us develop the most cost effective plan to address those issues,” said Goldberg.

For Belmont, the state’s acceptance of the preliminary work is a “big deal,” according to the chair of the Belmont High School Building Committee.

“It’s an exciting time for Belmont,” said William Lovallo, who leads the 16 member group which will oversee the building’s construction with the MSBA. “This is the precursor … of our design process,” he said.

During the just completed eligibility stage, “the state looked to the town and school district to understand the framework by which we will move into the feasibility study,” said Lovallo. With the state’s OK this week, Belmont can now move to hire in the new year an owner’s project manager who will work with the committee to write the Request For Proposal (RFP) for hiring a design team.

According to Lovallo, after the team is in place, the feasibility study will be underway looking at three building “scenarios”– a school that includes 7th-12th grades, an 8th-12th building, and a traditional 9th-12th high school – in multiple configurations.

“The MSBA requires us to look at each scenario three ways; ‘as is,’ a renovation project and a new structure” so “there could potentially be nine designs in the study in addition to any other variation,” said Lovallo.

“Then you take all those studies and boil it down through the public process to a preferred option,” he said. Only when the MSBA and the town approves a single building configuration will schematic designs be produced and the building will begin to take shape, said Lovallo.

“We’ll be working even harder in this next phase,” he said, estimating that the feasibility study will be completed early in 2018.

Veterans’ Day Exercise Schedule at Belmont Public Schools

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Photo: Belmont veterans.

The Belmont Public Schools will be holding its annual Veterans’ Day exercises on Thursday, Nov. 10 with visits by Belmont and area residents who have served their country to town schools. 

Thursday’s schedule:

  • 8:45 a.m.: Continental breakfast at Chenery Middle School. 95 Washington St.
  • 9 a.m.: Program at Chenery Middle School
  • 9:45 a.m.: Butler Elementary School program.
  • 10:30 a.m.: Wellington Elementary School program.
  • 11:30 a.m.: Luncheon at VFW Post, 310 Trapelo Rd., sponsored by Bob Upton, the town’s Veterans’ Services Officer. 

Honored: Belmont’s Butler Picks Up Its Blue Ribbon Award

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Photo: Principal Michael McAllister (left) with Abu Kumi, director of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Belmont’s Daniel Butler Elementary School was formally honored in Washington D.C. after recently being named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School for Exemplary High Performance.

Butler is one among 279 public and 50 private schools receiving this honor, and one of three Bay State schools recognized for this honor.

Former Butler Principal Michael McAllister, now the headmaster at Belmont’s Chenery Middle School represented Butler at the Nov. 8 ceremony.

“This award confirms what I’ve known all along, and now the public knows, that there is amazing teaching and learning happening at the Butler school,” says McAllister.

Schools are nominated for the award by the state department of education, and are recognized in one of two performance categories; Exemplary High Performing—among the top schools in a state; or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing—schools making the fastest progress in the their state in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

Current Butler Principal Danielle Betancourt says the honor is well-deserved.

“This achievement is a testament to the passion, strategic effort, education and teamwork that each person in the community contributes,” she said.

McAllister is coming back to the Butler with a plaque, a blue ribbon flag and a banner which will soon be presented to the Butler school community to display.

Belmont Voters Back Clinton; Reject Charter Schools, Yes on Legally Lighting Up

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Photo: Counting early ballots

More than four out of five registered voters cast ballots as Belmont residents came out in near record numbers to participate in the 2016 Presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Lines queued at each of the town’s eight polling sites before 7 a.m. as residents took the opportunity to vote in what many hoped was a historic election.

And at 10 p.m. when the unofficial final results were tallied, Belmont’s left-leaning reputation was varified as voters gave Democrat Hillary Clinton a solid win over Republican Donald Trump:

  • Hillary Clinton (D)   10,233   71%
  • Donald Trump (R)      3,102   21%  
  • Gary Johnson (Lib)        560    4%
  • Jill Stein (Green)            237     2%

When early voting and absentee ballots were added to the tally from the precincts, 14,667 residents cast ballots out of 17,826 registered voter or 82.2 percent. 

Belmont outpaced the rest of the state as the former US Secretary of State and former First Lady garnered 61 percent of the vote statewide compared to 33 percent to the businessman and television personality.

Clinton’s vote total is the most by a presidential candidate in Belmont, beating out both of President Obama’s victories in 2008 and 2012.

But Belmont could not help Clinton as she was swamped by Trump nationwide.

On the four ballot questions, Belmont voted against more charter schools, for chickens and just said no to token around the town.

On Question 2, Belmont voters rejected the measure which would have allowed a significant expansion of charter schools in Massachusetts 63 percent to 37 percent (10,716 to 3,300) which nearly matched the statewide vote, 62 percent to 38 percent.

Belmont voters joined the majority of state voters who were high on Question 4 which allows smoking marijuana whenever the feeling strikes them, 52 percent to 48 percent. Residents can now light up on the “up and up” on Dec. 15 – for a “Merry Wanta Christmas” as Cheech and Chung said in their act – with pot supermarkets coming in 2018.

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“The Dude” Lebowski, from the movie “The Big Lebowski” has become a symbol of recreational pot smoking in society.

Finally, Belmont residents showed their kindness by overwhelmingly supporting Question 3 which bans the sale of foods derived from animals raised in cruel confined conditions, passing 80 percent to 20 percent, two percentage points higher than the state total. The ballot question sets new rules on the size of cages in which farmers can raise chickens, cows and pigs.

Belmont Schools, Public Library, Senior Center Closed for Election

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Photo: A line of voters at the Burbank Elementary School.                                                        

With safety in mind, the Belmont School District has closed the district’s six schools for the Presidential Election today, Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Speaking in September, School Superintendent John Phelan said the decision to shut down school for the day was a precautionary measure due to the combination of three schools – Winn Brook, Butler and Burbank elementary – hosting polling places and an anticipated high voter turnout for Presidential elections – Town Clerk Ellen Cushman is predicting upwards of 80 to 85 percent voter participation.

With limited visitors parking at the three schools and upwards of a thousand voters attempting to cast ballots during the day, it was decided to side on safety.

The number of voters anticipated and the need for parking resulted in the Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue and the Senior Center at the Beech Street Center being closed today, Tuesday. 

Belmont Votes Today: 2016 Presidential Election

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Photo: Voters casting ballots in Belmont.

Belmont votes for president today, Tuesday, Nov. 8 as part of the 2016 Presidential Election.

POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 7 A.M. TO 8 P.M. Those in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballot.

A sample ballot can be viewed here.

Voters are encouraged to check their voter registration status and voting precinct before they go to vote by visiting the Town Clerk’s web page.

Voters who have not returned a town census in 2015 or 2016 are classified as “inactive” voters, a status that requires the voter to present identification to return to the active voting rolls. Bring an ID such as a driver’s license when you go to vote to make the process simpler on election day.

BELMONT VOTING LOCATIONS

  • Precinct One: Belmont Public Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Two: Belmont Town Hall, Selectmen’s Room, 455 Concord Ave.
  • Precinct Three: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Four: Daniel Butler School Gym, 90 White St.
  • Precinct Five: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Precinct Six: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
  • Precinct Seven: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
  • Precinct Eight: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Rd., Enter From Cross Street.

Don’t know your voting precinct?  Visit the Town Clerk’s website for a list of Belmont precinct assignments by street:

  1. Select Town Departments
  2. Select Town Clerk,
  3. then select Elections: Information for Residents and scroll down the page.

Or go directly here.

ARRIVE EARLY, CONSIDER TRAFFIC AND LIMITED PARKING

Belmont Police will designate some voter parking at each of the polling locations however with a very busy election, parking close to the voting sites is often a challenge. Plan ahead: consider walking, carpooling with a friend or voting “off peak” during the middle of the day. 

If you would like further clarification of your party, voting  status, voting precinct or have any other questions related to the upcoming election, please call the Belmont Town Clerk’s Office at 617-993-2600 or email: townclerk@belmont-ma.gov

Super Heroes Big and Small Run ‘Round and ‘Round the Butler

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Photo: And … they’re off!

It’s not every day your principal transforms into a superhero.

But last Wednesday, Nov. 2, the Butler Elementary’s Danielle Betancourt became “The Incredibles” Elastigirl who possesses the ability to stretch her body like rubber.

Well, that’s what she said she could do, although the majority of the time Elastigirl/Betancourt joined other costumed educators and staff cheering and encouraging all the students who participated in the Third Annual Butler Fun Run, the yearly fundraiser to help fund the school’s PTA enrichment programs.

Canceled twice due to wet weather, the second day of November proved sunny and cool, the perfect conditions for students from each grade to run, skip or walk around the school on the course designed by PE teacher Ted Trodden. After warming up in the gym with real local hero Becca Pizzi, the students were given a pedometer and sent out to run with their class. When they finished, each student was invited to sign the special banner and check how many steps they took.

This year, $21,000 was raised, which will go toward field trips, enrichment programs in school, library books, teacher supplies and professional development for the Butler staff.

So why did Betancourt choose the heroine of the Pixar Animation Studios film?

“Because she has arms that stretch so wide that she can hug the entire school!” said the newly-installed principal.

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The Family’s Profession: Fourth Generation Police Officer Joins Belmont PD

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Photo: Officer Brian O’Donovan being sworn in by Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

Brian O’Donovan today has joined the family profession.

On Monday, Nov. 7, with his parents Michael and Kerry O’Donovan, police and town officials in attendance, Belmont native Brian O’Donovan was sworn in as a Belmont Police officer by Town Clerk Ellen Cushman in a formal ceremony held at the Belmont Gallery of Art in the Homer Building.

O’Donovan is the fourth generation public safety officer in his family – his father is a Boston University Police Officer and his grandfather, John R., was a Lt. Col. in the Massachusetts State Police and Chief of the MBTA Police – joining the department his great grandfather, John R. Sr., served.

On Friday, Nov. 4, O’Donovan graduated after a 27-week intensive academy program hosted by the Lowell Police Academy.

O’Donovan is a 2009 graduate of Belmont High School where he played hockey. He joined the US Maines in 2010.

Assistant Chief James MacIsaac and Lt. Kristin Daley represented the Police Department, and Town Administrator David Kale attended the ceremony.

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League of Women Voters Will Drive You To The Polls Tuesday

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Photo: League’s logo

The Belmont League of Women Voters will once again provide rides to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 8 so residents can vote in the Presidential and state elections as well as four ballot questions.

Rides will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to any of the eight precinct polling stations in town. To arrange a trip, either call the league at 617-771–8500 or e-mail: Rides@BelmontLWV.org

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.