Reminder from Belmont’s Town Clerk: There’s an Election Next Week

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A reminder from Ellen Cushman, Belmont’s Town Clerk: The polls will be open in Belmont for the State Primary Election, Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please check the Town Clerk’s web pages for more information

Voting Locations

Precinct 1: Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Avenue

Precinct 2: Belmont Town Hall, Selectmens’ Meeting Room, 455 Concord Avenue

Precinct 3: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech Street

Precinct 4: Daniel Butler School, Gymnasium, 90 White Street

Precinct 5: Beech Street Center (Senior Center), 266 Beech Street

Precinct 6: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Road

Precinct 7: Mary Lee Burbank School, Gymnasium, 266 School Street

Precinct 8: Winn Brook School, Gymnasium, 97 Waterhouse Road (enter from Cross Street)

Did You Receive a Postcard from the Town Clerk This Summer?

Each voter in a household that did not return the 2014 Town Census was mailed a postcard asking for confirmation that the voter is still living in Belmont per Massachusetts General Law C. 51 §4. Those voters is now labeled as “inactive”, meaning that the voter must provide proof of identification and address prior to voting.  If you received that postcard and have not yet returned it, please do so immediately to re-activate your voting status if you’re still living in Belmont.  Returns received by Monday, Sept. 8 at noon will be recorded in the Sept. 9 voting list.

Absentee Voting Deadline Monday, Sept. 8 at Noon

Registered voters of Belmont who qualify to vote Absentee for the upcoming primary election may take advantage of the “in person absentee” option at the Town Clerk’s office or file an application to be mailed an absentee ballot. The request/application must contain the voter’s signature and must indicate the party of the ballot the voter requests if the voter is unaffiliated as a Democrat or Republican. Applications must be received by the Town Clerk by noon, Monday, Sept. 8.

Enforcement of the Pet License Law Underway

Per Belmont’s Bylaws, every dog and cat in Belmont must be licensed annually by March 15. Issuance of  $50 Non-Criminal Violations to owners of pets not licensed for 2014 is currently underway.  If you haven’t yet licensed your pet, please submit your license application, late licensing fee and required documents in person or by mail to the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall, 455 Concord Avenue.  Renewals of licenses for pets with up-to-date Rabies Vaccinations can be performed online for a $1. 22 processing fee.  For application and complete information , please see the Town Clerk’s web pages and select the applicable pet license option.

Ready, Set, School! What to Know For the First Day of Belmont Schools

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Wake up, sleepy heads! Wednesday, Sept. 3 is the first day of the new 2014-15 school year at each of Belmont’s six public schools! Just 184 more days before the final day on Monday, June 22, 2015. (We know that date is unlikely with snow days sure to come.) 
On day one: 
  • It is a full day for students grades 1-12.
  • No school for Kindergarteners; they begin next week. 
  • It is a Wednesday schedule for all students.

Purchase meals and plans online here.

Belmont High School

Wednesday is Opening Day for Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12: All grades will report to school at 7:35 a.m. for homeroom. Freshmen will report to the Auditorium for a brief assembly at 8:15 a.m. Seniors will report to the Auditorium for a brief assembly at 12:35 p.m. A Quick Reference Guide, including the schedule for Opening Day and the first week of school, has been uploaded to each student’s Edline account. 

The first day of school is a FULL-DAY of classes.

Homeroom assignments for all students will be posted in the main lobby and posted on the Belmont High School website. Students should report to homeroom at 7:35 am where they will receive course schedules and locker information. Homeroom teachers will explain the schedule and answer any other questions. After homeroom, students will attend each class on their Wednesday schedule and meet with teachers.

Start Time: 7:35 a.m.

Dismissal times this year are:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 2:25 p.m.
  • Wednesdays: 1:25 p.m.
  • Wednesday Early Release will be at 10:30 a.m.

Chenery Middle School

Start Time: 7:55 a.m.

Dismissal Times:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 2:25 p.m.
  • Wednesdays: 1:15 p.m.
  • Wednesday Early Release will be at 11 a.m.

Burbank, Butler, Wellington Schools:

Start Time: 8:40 a.m.

Dismissal Times:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 2:50 p.m.
  • Wednesdays: 1:40 p.m.
  • Wednesday Early Release will be at 11:40 a.m.

(1/2 Day Kindergarten: 8:40 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.)

Here is what you’ll need to know about the first day at the Wellington, general info about arriving and leaving the Butler and  the first day at the Burbank.

Winn Brook School

Start Time – 8:50am

Dismissal Times: 

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 3 p.m.
  • Wednesdays: 1:50 p.m.
  • Wednesday Early Release will be at 11:50 a.m.

(1/2 Day Kindergarten: 8:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.)

 

The Week Ahead: School Starts Wednesday, Belmont v. Watertown in Field Hockey Friday

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• Yoga for everyone at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Sept. 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.: 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.

• The Belmont School District opens for the 2014-15 academic year on Wednesday, Sept. 3 for students in 1st through 12th grade; the kindergarteners get another week off.

• Sustainable Belmont – helping the town become an environmentally responsible community – will be meeting at the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, Sept. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to discuss Belmont Light’s proposed changes to distributed generation, also known as the solar tariff. Members active on the Energy Working Group will present information on the proposed changes and discuss alternative options for the tariff.

• The fall sports season gets underway on the first day of classes as defending Middlesex League champions the Belmont High School Boys’ Golf team host Andover at Belmont Country Club at 3:30 p.m. while Volleyball heads to Waltham for a non-league start to their campaign to return to the playoffs.

• A meeting of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Assembly Room. 

• Do yourself a favor and head over to Watertown’s Victory Field on Friday, Sept. 5 as Belmont High School Field Hockey visits four-consecutive Div. 2 state champions Watertown High School at 3:30 p.m. This generation of Marauders will battle toe-to-toe with the Red Raiders; expect the unexpected.

Underwood Pool’s ‘Last’ Days this Weekend

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Belmont residents – the few still in town during the Labor Day holiday – were anticipating to witness the final days of the Underwood Pool, the oldest continuously serving outdoor municipal pool in the US, as it prepares to shut down for the final time since opening its doors a few weeks after the Titanic sank in 1912.

After 102 years, the historic pool would be open for one last weekend before shutting down.

But with news earlier this week that Woburn-based Seaver Construction withdrew its low bid to build a new Underwood Pool complex – the only one of five bidders who was within the $4.9 million construction budget – the future of the existing oval-shaped pool has grown a bit murky as town officials scramble to determine their next move on the already designed new two pool complex scheduled to open on the first day of summer 2015.

Town departments, officials and the new pool’s building committee will meet at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3 to discuss any next steps that can be taken.

For those residents who wish to take a “final” plunge into the historic facility, the pool’s Labor Day weekend schedule is:

  • Friday and Saturday, Aug. 29 and 30: 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 31: 1 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
  • Monday, Sept. 1 (the “final” day): noon to 4 p.m.

 

Comparing Homes: Belmont, Mass and Belmont, Miss

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Belmont, Mississippi, located hard on the Alabama state line in the northeastern corner of the state, has everything you need for country living: wide open spaces, nearby lakes, cheap land and not that many people so you won’t feel crowded. There are barely 2,000 folks in this town – the entire school system has just over 1,500 students – with little in the way of industry in that part of Tishomingo County where the median income for a household in the town was $29,702, and the median income for a family was $37,639.

So what sort of house can you buy in Belmont, Mississippi and here, in the Bay State’s Belmont for the same amount?Frankly, it’s a bit more difficult than one would expect as many residential structures in “The Magnolia State” barely reach the lowest price for the most basic condo in the “Town of Homes.” But one does breach the minimum benchmark, and it’s the most expensive house on the market in 38827 zip code.

For approximately $685,000, you get a lot in Belmont, Mississippi: a lakefront farmhouse at 23 Country Road 76 which overlooks a stocked six acre spring-fed lake (one of four ponds on the property) on 160 acres of land. That’s a quarter square mile! The single-story main building is 3,400 sq.-ft. with five beds, three-and-a-half bath with a stone fireplace, cathedral ceiling and a large eat-in kitchen. The house also has a typical Southern semi wrap-around porch along with an oversized double garage. “Lots of Deer and Turkey on this land also. Hunt and Fish and Garden on you very own Property!!!”

Here in Belmont, Mass., for $679,000, the buyer can purchase a 65-year-old Garrison-styled Colonial at 24 Eliot Rd., a whopping 1,418 sq.-ft. with seven rooms, three beds and one-and-a-half baths. You also get a one car attached garage that includes a breezeway as well as additional parking for two in the driveway. As for water, you will only be a few hundred feet from other Little Pond and Clay Pit Pond (although you will need to cross the MBTA tracks to get to Clay Pit). You will have land out back, just a hundredth of the size you’d get down south.

We’re Closed: Belmont Shuts Down for Labor Day Weekend

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The Labor Day holiday the last big get away weekend of the summer and Belmont is shutting down early.

All Belmont Town offices and Belmont Light will close their doors at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29; the last early-close of the summer. Beginning Sept. 5, offices will close at 4 p.m.

The Belmont Public Library will close at 5 p.m. Friday and stay shut until Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 9 a.m. So check out DVDs, CDs and beach reads today.

Labor Day is one of ten holidays recognized by the federal government, although the feds don’t require employers to pay workers for this holiday. Businesses traditionally provide their employees with a paid holiday as part of a benefits package because most other employers do the same.

What else will be closed on Monday, Sept. 1?

• US Postal Service offices and regular deliveries.

• Banks; although some branches will be open in some supermarkets.

• MBTA: Operating on a Sunday schedule. See www.mbta.com for details.

Open:

• Retail stores

• Coffee shops; Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are open

• Supermarkets

• Convenience stores and,

• Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open. Bars and taverns are also open but Belmont doesn’t have any so …

Belmont High Ranks High in Boston Mag Ranking

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In its 2014 annual ranking of High Schools from the greater Boston region, Belmont High School is pegged at 13th by Boston Magazine in its coming September issue.

This year’s ranking is 10 places higher than in 2013.

The poll has placed neighboring Lexington High as the second highest ranked public high school while nearby Winchester (number 10) and Newton South (5th) rate higher than Belmont.

Only public schools within the Greater Boston I-495 boundary were included. 

Belmont Courts Role in Attorney General Race

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Maura Healey takes a three-point shot and “swish” – nothing but net.

The candidate for Massachusetts Attorney General who is battling long-time politician Warren Tolman to replace Martha Coakley (who Healey worked for as an assistant AG before resigning to run for the position) is seen taking the ball to the hoop on an outdoor court in her first television campaign ad released Tuesday, Aug. 6.

“When you’re a five-four pro basketball player, you learn to take on the big guys,” says a narrator as Healey stands under the basket as the ad recalls her time as an outstanding hoopster at Harvard and as a pro in Austria.

Upon closer inspection of the ad, Healey is hitting her shots on the basketball court at Belmont’s Grove Street Playground across from Belmont Cemetery.

Could it be that Healey selected the site due to her long-time friendship on and off-the-court with Belmont’s Melissa Hart?

“I’m not sure why she chose Grove Street and did not ask her when I saw her the other day, but I did tell her that was where I grew up shooting around and practicing on my own,” said Hart, a star athlete at Belmont High and Hamilton College and currently Belmont High’s girls’ basketball head coach.

As someone who first got to know Healey as a member of a competitive recreation basketball league the two joined to stay active in the sport, the Oakley Road resident believes the former Harvard basketball captain has the skill set to be successful in state-wide office as she has been on the court.

“I think Maura is a natural in the political arena because she is genuine, sharp, and willing to stand up and fight, but has a great warmth about her evident from anyone who meets her,” said Hart.

“I have not heard of someone who has met her and spoken to her that has not liked her and been impressed with her actually. She is committed to the law and to civil rights and justice. Maura does not want any political office she can be elected to, Maura wants the job of the attorney general,” said Hart, who invited Healey to participate at the Belmont youth basketball clinic last fall.

As for taking on Healey on the court, Hart said she is fortunate to have had the former pro on her side most of the time.

“Luckily Maura was always on my team, even if we were all just splitting up to play. I am not sure I can remember too many times she was on the opposite team or maybe wanted to forget!” said Hart.

Sold in Belmont: Go(l)den Street Tudor Tops Seven Figures

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A weekly recap of residential properties bought in the past seven days in the “Town of Homes.”

• 38-40 Falmouth St. Mulifamily (1913), Sold for: $820,000. Listed at $849,000. Living area: 3,334 sq.-ft. 11 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 48 days.

• 73 Scott Rd. Garrison-style colonial (1938), Sold for: $749,000. Listed at $749,000. Living area: 1,891 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 76 days.

• 51-53 Gilbert Rd. Condominium, Sold for: $365,000. Listed at $389,000. Living area: 1,103 sq.-ft. 6 rooms; 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. On the market: 47 days.

• 267 Waverley Rd. Antique Colonial (1890). Sold for: $606,000. Listed at $619,000. Living area: 1,697 sq.-ft. 7 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 67 days.

• 52 Burnham St. #3, Condominium, Sold for: $495,000. Listed at $449,000. Living area: 1,270 sq.-ft. 6 rooms; 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. On the market: 36 days.

• 196 Goden St. Classic brink Tudor (1938), Sold for: $1,099,000. Listed at $1,099,000. Living area: 2,957 sq.-ft. 11 rooms; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. On the market: 56 days.

Rev. Zarro Sings on Market Day in Belmont

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The summer harvest continues to come in at the Belmont Farmers Market today. Basil, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, chard, cilantro, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, green beans, kale, mint, nectarines, onions, parsley, peaches, peppers, pumpkin greens, radishes, scallions, squash blossoms, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, yu choi and zucchini are in season.

The Belmont Farmers Market is open from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Belmont Municipal Parking Lot at the corner of Channing Road and Cross Street behind the Belmont Center shopping district.

This week, guest vendors are Coastal Vineyards, Matt’s Amazing Smokehouse, Sugar + Grain, Soluna Garden Farm and Bedford Blueberry Goat Farm. For a list of weekly vendors, visit the market’s Web site.

This Week’s Food Truck: Jamaica Mi Hungry, starting at 4 p.m. Try the jerk chicken this week.

In the Events Tent

• The ABC program “The Middle” has a character named Rev. Timothy “Tim-Tom” Thomas, a guitar-playing youth minister who can solve the problems of a teenager with a song. And Belmont has its own singing pastor as Rev. Joe Zarro, pastor of the Plymouth Congregational Church on Pleasant Street, will perform under the red events tent from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• The Belmont Public Library sponsors storytime for preschool and older children from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Tastings: Arlington Mexican restaurant La Posada at 2 p.m. and Belmont’s Spirited Gourmet at 4:30 p.m.

Belmont Food Pantry
Bring non-perishable items each week to the Market tent. The Market has supported the Pantry with nonperishable food collection over the years, along with donations of fresh produce from the Market’s community garden project.

SNAP Payments

The market accepts and doubles SNAP benefits (formerly called Food Stamps) up to an extra $25 per Market day while matching funds last. Your donations to our parent organization, the Belmont Food Collaborative (belmontfood.org), help with programs like this. You can donate securely on the web site, or mail a check to PO Box 387, Belmont, MA 02478. We appreciate your support!