Final Four: Last Month of Thursdays at the Belmont Farmers Market

It’s the final month of market days in Belmont as the Farmers Market’s last day is Oct. 30, so take advantage of the bounty while you can. Stock up on apples, and make and freeze pies that you can pull out and bake mid-winter.

In season are pumpkins, winter squash, and apples as well as the bounty of the late summer harvest: acorn squash, amaranth, apples, broccoli, carrots, chard, collards, cucumbers, delicata squash, eggplant, garlic, green beans, kale, mint, onions, parsley, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin greens, radishes, raspberries, scallions, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, and zucchini.

This week’s occasional vendors are Belmont Municipal Light Department, Sugar + Grain and Seasoned and Spiced which join the market’s regular vendors.

There is no food truck this week.

The Farmers Market is located in Belmont Center parking lot at the intersection of Cross Street and Channing Road.

October Farm Share Event

The Belmont Food Collaborative (parent organization of the Belmont Farmers’ Market) is hosting its Second Annual Fall & Winter Farm Share Fair in Watertown on Thursday, Oct. 16.

You can share in fresh produce throughout the winter months. There is a wide variety of produce available and a farm share is a great way to take advantage of getting it “fresh from the farm.” The Fair will be held at the Watertown Public Library, 123 Main Street, Watertown, from 5:30–7:30. Among this year’s vendors are: Boston Organics, C&C Lobsters and Fish, Farmers to You, The Food Project, Pioneer Valley Grain CSA, Red Fire Farm, Shared Harvest CSA, and Something GUD. Visit belmontfarmersmarket.org for updates on this year’s line-up.

In the Events Tent:

The Hoot Owls, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.: This old-time string band is back for its third appearance this season, with Ruth Rappaport on guitar, Celeste Frey on banjo and Don Stratton on fiddle.

Eight Thumbs Sax Quartet, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Members Andy Didonato on baritone sax, Phil Norris on alto sax, Murray Burnstine on tenor sax, and Ed Biggs on soprano sax have played together for decades in various musical groups, forming “Eight Thumbs” in 2005.

Storytime 4:00 – 4:30 pm
All tots welcome to hear stories about farms and food.

SNAP Benefits and Belmont Food Pantry

The Market accepts and doubles SNAP benefits up to $25, so spread the word so that more can take advantage of fresh food. Also, bring nonperishables to the Farmers’ Market tent to benefit the Belmont Food Pantry. Check the Food Pantry’s web site (https://sites.google.com/site/thebelmontfoodpantry/) for what’s needed. Collection at the Market tent is weekly.

 

Belmont High Students Making Strides This Sunday

It’s October, and the Belmontian Community Service Club at Belmont High School has been planning for Breast Cancer Month.

As a first step, many members are walking in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer this Sunday, Oct. 5, where representatives from the club will be on the stage at the Hatch Shell in recognition of our third-place finish in last year’s High School Challenge

If you would like to support the team – and the American Cancer Society’s efforts in breast cancer research, education, treatment, and patient support – the team would be delighted to accept those donations by going online to the team’s website: 

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/belmonths 

and clicking on “Donate Now” or by sending a check, made out to “American Cancer Society,” to Alice Melnikoff, Belmont High School, 221 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.   

The team will be collecting donations from now until the end of November. In 2013, the team raised $15,000 from all its breast cancer fundraising activities and it is hoping to exceed that figure this year. 

Belmont Fire Log: With This Ring, OUCH! Be Watchful of Your Burner

With this ring … ouch!

Sept. 21 – About half-past 9 p.m., Engine 1 and Rescue 1 were sent to a Trapel0 Road residence. There they discovered that a resident’s ring had become a bit too snug around the finger. It was carefully removed.

Not the first or last time this fall

Sept. 22 – Half past 10 p.m., a call came in that a Belmont Street residential structure was filling with smoke. When the entire company arrived at the site, they discovered the building’s oil burner was running smoky as it started-up, most likely for the first time this season. The aforementioned burner was shut down, and the landlord was advised to have it serviced before placing it back in operation. Homeowners and landlords need to watchful with burners that have not been running since spring.

Grilled grill

Sept. 23 – At a quarter to 7 p.m., a Philip Road resident was cooking outside one last time when his gas grill suddenly caught fire. Luckily, the fire was contained to the grill.

What a fine mess you’ve got yourself

Sept. 25 – Just before 7 p.m., Engine 2 and Ladder 1 were dispatched to a Slate Road two-family to investigate a reported odor of smoke inside the house. Turns out that the likely culprit was an overheated light bulb in the first-floor bathroom. But firefighters also found a potential fire hazard from the large amount of storage in the basement. Firefighters assisted the storage maven to relocate some of his belonging as to create a five foot perimeter away from the burner.

Outside fire is the pits

Sept. 27 – Just after 7 p.m., Engine 1 set off for Cushing Avenue after some people reported a fire and heavy smoke coming from the back yard. Turns out a resident was using a fire pit. The homeowner agreed to extinguish the blaze and told of the town’s bylaw prohibiting such outdoor displays.

Sports: Field Hockey ‘Just Not Happy’ With 3-1 Win Over Winchester

A minute after walking off the pitch with a 3-1 home victory over a strong Winchester team Monday, Sept. 29, there was a bit of complaining coming from the Belmont High School Field Hockey players.

The grumbling was not about rulings on the field or the actions of the Sachems during the match. The Marauders were grousing about how they had individually performed on Harris Field. They just weren’t playing to a new standard they were setting for themselves.

The complaining left Belmont’s Head Coach Jessica Smith mystified.

“You won the game! That’s all that should matter to you guys,” Smith told her team, currently 6-2-0 for the season with its only two losses to undefeated ranked opposition.

“They dominated the game but they didn’t feel that they did,” Smith told the Belmontonian.

Smith said the players are setting high-performance expectations in every game before them. Part of that comes from a superb performance just two days prior when the Marauders defeated Lexington, 4-2, to secure second place in the league.

“I think they have higher standards for themselves than I have for them, and I love that,” said Smith.

On Monday, Belmont played a strong midfield game led by senior co-captain Suzanne Noone who was tireless running the 70 yards between the attacking and defending striking circles and leading the team with take-away and shots on goal with eight.

“We were connecting a lot more of our passes at Lexington and finishing a lot of our goal chances which we didn’t here,” said Noone.

The Marauders could not have had a more advantageous start with junior forward Kerri Lynch – coming off her hat trick against Lexington – scoring on the first shot of the game at 27:50 off a smart pass from Noone.

Yet despite having several chances inside the circle, “we never seemed to have get the touches on the post where we usually score,” said Smith, who also said a sense of complacency creeped into the overall play “because the players just thought, ‘we’re gonna win’ and that’s what happens when you begin to win a lot.”

Winchester (4-5-0) plugged away for the second part of the first half and scored in close through junior Melissa Zavez.

The visiting Sachems took the game to the Marauders early in the second as the team relied on senior goalkeeper Kate Saylor and the Belmont back line until the offense perked up after five minutes. The Marauders open the field with nice passing and long runs to take control of the match.

Their efforts were reward midway through the second when Noone picked up a rebound off a slapshot from just inside the 15 meter circle to rocket in the goal at 17:50 with an assist going to Olivia Castagno.

“I got a nice hard shot off,” said Noone.

Five minutes later, Belmont finished the scoring with a Beth Young tally at the right post with Kate McCarthy providing the pass.

The Marauders enter their away game Wednesday, Oct. 1 against a strong Wilmington team (4-3-2 with a win against Lexington) with a four-game winning streak.

“I think we’re going to have a very strong rest of the season. The fact that we beat Lexington, one of the best teams in the league, is telling. We certainly are connecting passes so much better than we did last year,” said Noone.

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Hot Chocolate Homework Wednesday at the Library

Rainy autumn days and hot chocolate is one the best examples of a complimentary pair. The Belmont Public School invites Chenery Middle School students on early release Wednesday to come over to the library’s Assembly Room today, Wednesday. Oct. 1 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., to do your homework while enjoying some hot chocolate. 

This is for middleschoolers only so high schoolers are on their own. This event is provided for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

Just drop in, no registration required.

Fed Grant Allows Belmont Fire to be Fully Staffed Since 2010

Just before the start of summer next year, the Belmont Fire Department will return to a position it hadn’t been in since 2010: being fully staffed.

Thanks to a federal grant aimed at increasing the number of “front line” firefighters to meet national staffing and response standards, “[the BFD] will be budgeted for four shifts of 13 personnel for fiscal year 2016 and 2017,” said Belmont Fire Chief David Frizzell told the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Monday, Sept. 29.

“This is good news for the department,” said Fizzell, who came with BFD Assistant Chief Angus Davison who wrote the grant.

The $285,020 SAFER grant award to BFD from the Department of Homeland Security will allow the department to cover the salary and benefits of a pair of “fire suppression” personnel for two years, said Frizzell.

While budgeted for 50 employees, the department currently has 48 firefighters on staff after a recent retirement and the departure of another.

The additional staff comes just in time as the department prepares for a “significant turnover” among its ranks in the coming years, Frizzell told the selectmen. While he can’t specifically say how many personnel will be departing as they only need to provide two weeks notice before retiring or leaving, Frizzell said several department members will become eligible for retirement.

“Because there is a lag of sometimes four to six months between the time we have an opening and when [new employees] complete the hiring and training process, it will be important [the department has] these two new members staffed when we go through our staff reductions,” said Frizzell.

Belmont OKs Commuter Pass Program, Price Hikes for Town Lots

Straphangers using Belmont Center to catch buses or the commuter rail to work will soon lose most of their free parking options as the Belmont Board of Selectmen approved a plan Monday, Sept. 29 requiring commuters to purchase of a monthly pass to park along streets and town lots near the transportation hub.

The recommendations from a committee of the Financial Task Force is predicting the commuter pass along with an increase in the fees at the three municipal parking lots will generate an additional $40,000 a year for the town, according to Floyd Carman, the town’s treasurer who is a member of the Task Force’s Other Revenue Committee.

The selectmen decided to defer from expanding the commuter plan to the “turn around” road across from Cottage Street and the Underwood Pool that is used for parking for residents and visitors attending events or using the school playing fields or the ‘Skip’ Viglirolo Skating Rink.

The new parking regulations will go into effect on Jan. 1.

Residents and out-of-towners who use the three town-owned lots in Belmont Center (on Claflin Street), Cushing Square and Waverley Square will be paying 40 cents more an hour and $2 a day to park, which will cover the costs to maintain the lots and operate the parking program, said Carman.

The parking fees will become $1 per hour and $5 for an all day ticket on Jan. 1. Parking passes will jump from $60 to $90.

The big change will be the new commuter parking plan, an idea proposed in the past but never implemented, said Carman. Currently, about 65 percent of the vehicles parked adjacent the Belmont commuter rail station are from out-of-town, said Carman.

“Sometimes, it’s 100 percent. There are no places for residents to park,” he told selectmen.

Under the recommendations, ten spaces in the three municipal lots as well as 13 spaces along Royal Road in front of the Belmont Lions Club will be reserved for commuters who purchase passes for $90 a month. The pass will allow commuters to use the spaces from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The ten commuter spots in the Belmont Center lot will be located near the former Macy’s location as its unlikely the site will be leased “until next year,” said Carman.

“So for the short term we can develop a revenue stream,” said Carman.

He also said there is some risk to the plan as the Belmont Center lot is used by the town’s Farmers Market five months during the summer and fall while the Lions Club sells Christmas trees in December.

Carman told Selectmen that businesses whose employees have been using lots and the street could begin a shuttle service from other locations.

The approved recommendations come as the November Town Meeting will discuss approving the $2.6 million reconstruction of Belmont Center’s roads that will include the introduction of a parking plan that calls for meters along Leonard Street. Selectman Sami Baghdady said he wanted to promote the commuter lot in a way “to encourage turnover along Leonard Street” to promote shopping and not all-day parking along the town’s “High Street.”

Selectman Mark Paolillo brought up the running concern of workers using on-street parking spaces by suggesting employee designated parking spaces in the three municipal lots with the remaining spaces limited to four hours or less.

“Let’s start thinking about this now before the Macy’s site opens,” said Paolillo.

 

 

Belmont’s DPW Chief Peter Castanino Stepping Down

Peter Castanino, the long-serving director of the Belmont Department of Public Works, is retiring after 33 years of service, according to Town Administrator David Kale at Monday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, Sept. 29.

“Too bad we can’t lock his door and keep him here,” quipped Selectman Mark Paolillo who said Castanino’s departure is “a significant loss” to the town and that replacing him “will be very difficult.”

Kale, who said Castanino will be leaving his position before the end of the year, said the director of the approximate 65 employee department with a budget of $21 million is “irreplaceable” due to his significant institutional knowledge of the town.

Every resident have had some direct involvement with Castanino and his department which maintains streets and sidewalks, plows the roads after snowstorms, oversees garbage and recycling collection, takes care of Belmont’s playing fields and parks and runs the Recreation Department. One of the most significant responsibilities under the DPW’s wing is water and sewer maintenance and construction.

In addition, Castanino has helped shepherd town projects and proposals – the two most recent being the new Underwood Pool and the restoration of the turf field and running track at Harris Field – through the planning and construction process.

Castanino’s departure will end his family’s long tenure of service to Belmont. Castanino’s father, James, was Belmont’s highway superintendent – when the public works and highway departments were separate divisions – until he retired in 1988, working for the department for a total of 42 years.

Volunteers Needed for Scharfman Run on Sunday

Organizers of the Dan Scharfman Memorial Run are seeking volunteers to help manage the race this Sunday morning, Oct.  5.

Here are a few details:

  • The shifts are about two hours long and you can pick the time that works for you.
  • The jobs are easy, the people are great and the race is fun.
  • You’re helping to raise money for Belmont schools.
  • There is a real need for volunteers to set up (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) and course monitors (8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.), but really all of the jobs need to be filled.
  • Even if you are running, you can volunteer for the set up or clean up.

Please the organizers if you can help. You can sign up at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/4090845ACAC2E5-20141

More information about the run at www.fbe-belmont.org/race

And if you could encourage a friend to sign up with you, that would be even better.

Belmont Health Collaborative Set to Begin Wellness Conversation

For Stacey Hammerlind and Lisa Gibalerio, the health of a community is based on what it knows not just how it feels.

The founders of the newly-formed Belmont Health Collaborative are hoping their organization will become a clearinghouse for all things related to wellness in Belmont.

“Our motto is ‘to inform, empower and engage,’” said Hammerlind, who is a registered nurse and certified care manager.

“The main goal is to be collaborative, to work with any organization in town that is interested in partnering up or to invite people who would like to speak about an issue they are passionate about,” said Hammerlind.

The pair saw a growing gap in health education services as traditional avenues from the town’s Health Department to the school department’s health employees are being stretched thin with greater responsibilities placed on their time.

“It seems that we are not providing information on subjects like nutrition, stress or AD/HD in kids in a thorough manner,” said Gibalerio, who earned a master’s of public health at Boston University and has a long background in health education.

“There’s an amazing amount of resources and sometimes it takes a little bit of hunting to find them,” said Hammerlind, saying the BHC’s web site will hopefully become the local resource on all health issues.

By leading interactive seminars, small group discussion and expert instruction, “we can address … issues that impact everyone in town from the young to the [elderly],” said Hammerlind.

She and Gibalerio will be looking to nearby centers such as McLean Hospital for mental health and Mt. Auburn Hospital and other sites for medical issues, solicit local residents with health or medical backgrounds or discover people who simply are passionate about a subject.

“There are people who have been affected by a health issue, such as suicide, and [might] be willing to be part of a panel discussion on the effects a suicide had on their family,” said Gibalerio.

The collaborative can also quickly pivot to answer questions when there is a flare-up of a disease or a rise in mental health issues in a targeted community.

“If there is an outbreak of, let’s say meningitis, we could begin the discussion as well has find experts on the subject,” said Gibalerio.

The partners have been working on a calendar with each month dedicated to a wide-ranging idea, such as loss whether it be the death of a loved one or if a spouse is suffering from dementia.

“We want to keep it fairly broad, so we don’t eliminate anyone from the discussion,” said Hammerlind.

The BHC’s first event is Wednesday, Oct. 1 when hip hop artist Juma Inniss will talk to Belmont High School students on media literacy at the Belmont Media Center. On Thursday, Oct. 2, Erin McNeill, President of Media Literacy Now, will talk to parents concerned about their children, the internet and other forms of media.

In determining future topics, the collaborative will focus on the answers to a short online survey on the BHC’s website.

“The whole impetus for the survey was to hear what the community wants to focus on and learn more about,” said Gibalerio.

While advocating for health education, the collaborative will likely take the role of being a facilitator including hosting events on emotional issues – such as the need for childhood vaccination – “where people of differing opinions can get together and have a discussion that is moderated,” said Hammerlind.