One Final Shindig As Belmont Public Library Building’s Last Day Set For Wednesday, Nov. 22

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Photo: On this day, writing on the wall of the Belmont Public Library was welcomed

The writing was on the walls … literally!

Adults, teens, and children got one last chance to write a fond farewell as the Belmont Public Library was given a final shindig on Saturday, Nov. 18, to celebrate the nearly 60 years it has been in the brick building on Concord Avenue.

“You can write on the wall, or you can write in the book. Tell us about your memories of the library while you’re saying goodbye,” said Kathy Keohane, a member of the Library Building Committee and chair of the Belmont Board of Library Trustees, as the building’s last day of operation will be Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Kathy Keohane, a member of the Library Building Committee and chair of the Belmont Board of Library Trustees

Holding a plastic “torch” representing something similar to the Olympic flame, Keohane told patrons and supporters that overflowed the library’s Community Room that it took an Olympian effort to reach this point

“Let’s celebrate this accomplishment in reaching this milestone … and looking toward the future for your wonderful building concerns all in Belmont for years and years to come,” said Keohane earlier.

After the closing, the library will “reopen” in temporary spaces around town:

  • Benton Library: Children’s collection
  • Chenery Upper Elementary: Staff location
  • Beech Street Center: Adult services and circulation

For a complete list of answers to frequently asked questions on the library’s temporary services, head to the library’s dedicated page on the subject.

The building committee’s target is to start to move out of the building and into the temp spaces beginning the week of Dec. 4. with the hope of running full services from those locations by Jan. 1.

After the library’s closing, “You can always reach us online chat. We have set up a new phone number on our website. We’re really trying to get through providing information to people in as many ways as we can,” said Keohane.

There will be a community update on Wednesday, Nov. 29 which will provide more detail about “where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going” relating to the library building project, she said.

As for essential dates, Keohane said demolition of the existing library will begin just after the New Year in January, with the start of construction in the March/April timeframe.

Just remember, when the new building opens in the spring of 2025, please don’t write on the walls.

[Breaking] Paolillo Will Not Seek Fifth Term On Select Board As Potential Candidates Ready Run

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Photo: Mark Paolillo

For Mark Paolillo, 12 years is enough.

Serving the final year of his fourth non-consecutive term (2010-2019, 2021-currently) on the Belmont Select Board, Paolillo will not be seeking a fifth when his tenure ends in April 2024.

“I’m not going anywhere, and I still love the job, but now is the right time to step away,” Paolillo told the Belmontonian at the celebration for the closing of the Belmont Public Library on Saturday, Nov. 18.

“It’s been an honor serving my home town on the board,” said Paolillo.

Even before his announcement, several names had been circulating around town of likely candidates to fill Paolillo’s seat, from those with significant experience serving on boards and committees, and several “newcomers” who have had just a taste of local government exposure.

It’s expected the first, and possibly second, of the potential candidates will be picking up nomination papers at the Town Clerk’s office by Wednesday, Nov. 22, before Town Hall shuts down for the four-day Thanksgiving holiday.

Paolillo will continue serving on the board until the Town Election on April 2, 2024. He said he wanted to participate in the creation of the fiscal 2025 budget and work with his board colleagues, Roy Epstein and Elizabeth Dionne, and town Financial Director Jennifer Hewitt in finding consensus on the critical dollar amount of the Proposition 2 1/2 override presented to voters in April.

“This [upcoming] override vote is massive for the future of Belmont and its schools. We have to get this one right,” he said.

A popular vote-getter at town elections, Paolillo won his first three-year term in 2010, defeating incumbent Dan LeClerc with 45 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Paolillo ran unopposed in 2013 and 2021.

After leaving the board in 2019, Paolillo returned in 2021 with a mission “to help the community move past its differences” after an override that year was rejected by residents by a 1,000 vote margin.

In his dozen years on the Select Board, Paolillo – a principal with the global tax services firm Ryan – has championed financial stability and sustainability (he is a member of the Financial Task Force) and is a strong supporter of implementing the long term structural reforms outlined in the Collins Center Report.

Paolillo is also known for his efforts to find consensus on the board and between town and elected officials as well as the public on the major issues facing Belmont.

“I have had amazing colleagues who have, I believe, made Belmont a better place,” he said.

‘It Could Be Yesterday; It Might Be Tomorrow’: BHS Performing Arts Company’s ‘Inherit The Wind’ [VIDEO]

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Photo: Henry Barnes (sitting) and Gavin Tieken-Zidel (standing right) were the leads in Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s production of “Inherit The Wind.”

Belmont High School Performing Arts Company Presented “INHERIT THE WIND” by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee at Belmont Middle and High School Black Box.

​The Performing Arts Company Fall Play was the classic drama, “Inherit the Wind,” based on the real-life story of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, when a high school science teacher was arrested for teaching evolution and violating a new state law. The play tells the tale of a small town gripped in the ensuing debate about science, religion, free speech, the law, and the two legal heavyweights coming to town to battle for their causes.

The show features a cast of 18 actors and the tech crew includes more than 40 students working on lighting, scenery, costumes, props, sound, and stage management.

NOTES ABOUT THE SHOW FROM PRODUCTION DRAMATURG LUCAS HOLMAN:

A dramaturg serves as a literary expert for a theatrical production, providing historical research, analysis and interpretation of a play to the cast, crew, and audience. For Inherit the Wind, Junior Lucas Holman conducted research about the history of the play, which was presented to the cast/crew throughout the rehearsal process, and participated with the cast in conversations about the present-day relevance of the show. He also wrote an essay for the program, part of which is excerpted here:

“Inherit the Wind” is a timeless work of historical fiction based on the “Scopes Monkey Trial” of 1925, in which a high school biology teacher was prosecuted for teaching evolution, which had been banned months prior. The play was written in the 1950s as a response to the McCarthy trials and a critique to the kangaroo courts of the Red Scare.

“Inherit the Wind” takes the historical figures and blends them into a dramatization of the courtroom. On one hand, “Inherit the Wind” is a time capsule, not just of the Scopes Trial from which it borrows its story, but from the McCarthy era which it aimed to critique. Similar to Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” “Inherit the Wind” utilizes the American past to touch on its American present by interweaving the themes and conflicts of the past with what they needed to hear then. However, the play is both timely as well as timeless, as many of the critiques it directs towards the unchecked dogma of Bryanism still ring true today in the climate of a divided America.

NOTES ABOUT THE SHOW FROM PRODUCER/DIRECTOR EZRA FLAM

“Inherit the Wind” is a Modern American drama, which is a style of play we have not done in the PAC in recent years. Students have had the opportunity to explore character development, naturalistic acting and play dramatic scenes, which has been a fun challenge for rehearsal and a great learning experience for them.

In March of 1925, the Tennessee legislature prohibited the teaching of evolution. The strike against Darwin sparked outrage across scientific America. Local authority figures in Dayton, Tennessee, quickly agreed: they wanted to use the new law to bring money and fame to their unknown town. They convinced John T. Scopes, on whom the character of Bert Cates is based, to stand trial. The ACLU put together a defense team led by Clarence Darrow, the most famed defense attorney in the nation in his time. Darrow is fictionalized in the play as Henry Drummond, facing off against prosecuting attorney Matthew Harrison Brady, a disgruntled thrice-failed presidential candidate who sees the defense of God as his last mission. Matthew Harrison Brady is modeled after William Jennings Bryan, the 19th and early 20th-century presidential candidate and novel politician, whose influence derived from his populist ideals. 

In addition, the tech crew has been hard at work creating the world of the show. Under the guidance of Scenic Designer Anna Moss, Costume Designer Lila West and Technical Director Ian O’Malley, students are creating the world of the play. Although the show takes place in the 1920s, we felt it was important to show that the story is not a historical artifact. As the author’s say in their preface to the script, “it could be yesterday; it might be tomorrow.” We have represented that on stage with a “Wall of Americana” spanning the last 100 years of culture and invention, a decade spanning soundtrack of American music and costumes that evoke the 1920s, but don’t lock the characters into that time period.

What A Week! Belmont Boys Stamps Its Brand Of Soccer On Div. 1 Playoff With Pair Of Upsets; Winchester Next In The Elite 8 On Sunday [VIDEO]

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Photo: Alex Servitopoulos celebrating his winning goal vs.Acton-Boxborough, 3-2

A year ago this week, Belmont High Boys’ Soccer players littered the turf at Franklin High School, having come ever so close to beating a top-ten seed, ruing the many missed chances in a “what if …” moment.

What a difference a year makes.

In a pair of nailbiting playoff matches, the 30th-ranked Marauders defeated third-ranked Acton-Boxborough Regional (3-2) and 14th-seed Natick High (2-1) in the MIAA Division 1 tourney, leaving the winning goals until late in both games, with the second against Natick coming down to the final kick of the game.

“We win pretty, we win ugly, We win with fire, we wind with passion,” said Belmont’s Head Coach Niman Kenkre said after a second emotional game against Natick. “They just refuse to lose. I’ve never been around a group of guys like this.”

“Their spirit, their mental strength to do what we done in both games. It bears out the work that we’ve put in, all the passion, all the love that these guys have for each other. It’s just rewarding for their commitment to the way we play and to each other.”

Belmont (13-5-4) will take its innovative tactics to Middlesex League Liberty rival 11th-seed Winchester (15-1-2) for an Elite Eight contest on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 11:30 a.m. In their previous matches, the Red and Black defeated the Marauders by identical 2-0 scorelines.

The last time Belmont had gone this deep into the MIAA tournament was in the Div. 2 North championship semifinals when Winchester beat the Marauders, 1-0, on its way to the state title.

The games stood out in their contrasting styles. Against Acton-Boxborough, Belmont excelled in the installment by Kenkre of a patient approach to attacking the opponent, using a combination of short and medium passes or dribbling with the ultimate aim of reaching the opponent’s territory in a superior position.

While most high school teams play long passes up the field with the hope of winning the ball, “we’ve really mastered playing from the back, breaking the field into thirds and building our offense in each third,” said team co-captain Sachil Kenkre after the A-B match which he collected three points on a goal and two assists. “It’s really beautiful soccer, and tonight it paid off.”

“At the start of the season, we were making mistakes left and right, and it was going to be hard to play high school [soccer] like that. But as you saw, it worked, and we beat the three seed,” he said.

“Tonight really validated the style of soccer that we’ve been striving to do all season,” said coach Kenkre.

Belmont 3, Acton-Boxorough 2

At Acton-Boxorough, Belmont’s pressure defense – attacking the Colonials’ backline and midfield with multiple players – allowed the Marauders to be on the front foot for most of the first 40 minutes. A-B had some of its own original set plays as they took the lead with just over three minutes to play, scoring on a corner from a player who came into the box on a deep run.

But the Colonials advantage lasted a mere 24 seconds as Kenkre scored a wonder goal of the season, a long-range blast that beat the outstretched hand of AB goalie Kai Chong into the upper net. Less than a minute later, a Kenkre free kick to the right of the goal found junior Owen Filler sneaking in from the backside, who headed the ball back behind Chong for a 2-1 lead entering halftime.

After the break, Belmont came out on the attack and missed scoring three times, only to see A-B senior Miller Lille lose his marker on a corner and run free for an open header to level the match at 2-2. For the remainder of the half, Belmont’s stylish and stout defending never allowed the home team to set up their long-ball attack.

The Marauders’ pressure on AB’s back line paid off big when they were rewarded a corner with barely five minutes remaining in the game. Kenkre’s corner found senior Alex Servitopoulos, who raised his six-foot frame high above the scrum and headed the ball into the left corner for the game-winner.

“It’s all a flash at this point,” said Servitopoulos. “I saw the ball go in, and everything stopped in my life. I swear I’m speechless.”

Belmont 2, Natick 1 (4-2 in PKs)

In contrast to the A-B match, Thursday’s game on Natick’s fridged field was a grind-it-out affair where tactics were replaced with a close-quarters physical contest. The Red Hawks felt more at home creating chances with long balls crossing the box with attackers missing several good chances with Belmont’s double zero Thomas Borkowski making a pair of outstanding saves in the final minutes of the half.

Natick was rewarded with the lead five minutes after the restart. A Borkowski punch save off a corner went to the feet of Natick’s big central defender Matteo Uyar, who launched a low screamer by Borkowski.

“You know, so many other teams would have packed it in [going down] 1-0. This team would not,” said coach Kendre.

After taking control of the match, Belmont would once again wait until five minutes to the end to score, relying on a first-year coming off the bench. Inserted a few minutes earlier, Lawrence Tu was at the right place at the right time when he corralled a loose ball outside the box to the right of the goal.

“Coach moved me off to attacking midfield, and I got in the box,” said Tu. “Sachil took a corner and it bounced straight to me. I just took a touch and it went in.”

“The whole season, I’ve just been filling in whenever I can. I just wanted to get the job done and I did so I am really happy,” said Tu.

The two 10-minute overtime periods were uneventful – except for two Natick starters who were carried off the pitch after collisions – and the game would be decided via the dreaded penalty kicks. After four converted kicks from 11 meters, Borkowski drilled a shot off the crossbar. But the senior stood tall, stopping the subsequent penalty stretching to his left, and sent the Belmont supporters crazy with a second consecutive save, this one at this feet.

“I knew my team was going to score. Just needed to keep one out and we were good,” said Borkowski.

Up 3-2, senior Samuel Kutsman came to the spot as nonchalance as if he knew the game was about to end. Kutsman’s run-up sent the Natick goalie to the left as he placed the ball into the right corner. All that was left to do was celebrate as Kutsman slid on his knees to the sideline, where his teammates met him as the Belmont supporters took to the field.

“I was confident in my abilities [scoring from the spot],” said Kutsman. “We’ve been practicing pens for five days. I just knew it from the start.”

Coach Kenkre said he was eager to meet that challenge with a one-loss Winchester facing them on Sunday.

“We’re ready. They’ve beaten us twice, but it’s always tough to beat a good team three times. We know how to play us, and we know how to play them. It’s going to be a great match. A Middlesex League team is going to the final four, and I think it will start with the letter B.”

Dionne: Continued Police Hiring Crisis Requires End Of Civil Service

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Photo: Elizabeth Dionne

Editor’s Note: This letter was presented to Belmont Town Meeting Members before the beginning of the Special Town Meeting on Nov. 6.

Many of you have approached me with questions about Civil Service, what it requires and how it operates. As non-experts, we all need reliable information.

The best source of information I have found on Civil Service in Belmont is in the 2022 Report from Belmont’s Structural Change Impact Group: “Recommendations to Improve Belmont’s Finances and Operations.” Anne Helgen’s “Idea #33—Civil Service” report is balanced and thorough. During her 12 years of service on the Warrant Committee, Anne has demonstrated absolute integrity and impressive financial expertise. She is a reliable narrator. There is no one whose judgment I trust more.

You can access the SCIG Report here. The Civil Service report is on pp. 43-54 (pp. 50-61 of the .pdf contents in the left-hand sidebar).

I support leaving the Civil Service for one compelling reason: Belmont’s Police Department has an ongoing staffing crisis that will become substantially worse in the near future. Leaving Civil Service is necessary in expanding our anemic hiring pool and fully staffing the department. 

In 2019, Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac advised the Warrant Committee that he needed help to fill chronically open spots in the department. Despite diligent hiring efforts in the intervening years, those spots remain open. A few years from now, long-time officers will begin to retire, exacerbating an already dire hiring situation.

If Town Meeting votes to remain in Civil Service, then we need to reduce our policing expectations to match available resources, rather than demanding that current officers cover an ongoing personnel deficit. It is unsustainable and unfair to ask current officers to cover the work of the eight currently open positions for years at a time. It is bad for morale, and it is bad for Belmont.

However, Belmont residents want more effective policing, not less. They are justifiably concerned about school safety, gun violence, mental health responses, and threats to pedestrian and cyclist safety from overly aggressive cross-town traffic. As an aside: Earlier this week, my cyclist husband had yet another near-collision with a car leaving the Belmont Hill School. Again, these are areas where residents are demanding an increased public safety presence.

Without explicit authorization from the Town Meeting to leave Civil Service, the Town administration has been unsuccessful in negotiating departure terms with police unions. In April 2021, the administration presented the unions with a good-faith plan to replace Civil Service. One of the two unions failed even to respond. This followed clear statements from the public safety unions that they would never voluntarily leave the Civil Service. We are at an impasse. Further action depends on an affirmative vote of the Town Meeting.

The Belmont Police Department has faced a hiring crisis for a number of years, and that hiring crisis will become worse in the very near future. Leaving the Civil Service is a necessary step in expanding our applicant pool.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Elizabeth Dionne

Vice Chair, Belmont Select Board

PS: Regarding police compensation in Belmont, the following chart from the Belmont Citizen-Herald  (May 8, 2023) is instructive:

Belmont’s 25 highest paid employees in 2022 (total pay)

  1. Superintendent of Schools John Phelan, $271,178
  2. Town Administrator Patrice Garvin, $220,353
  3. Police Officer Franz Strassmann, $220,066
  4. Police Capt. Christopher Donohue, $216,652
  5. Police Lt. Shiraz Banosian, $215,674
  6. Police Lt. Darin Demagistris, $210,584
  7. Belmont Light General Manager Craig Spinale, $210,332
  8. Police Chief James MacIsaac, $197,113
  9. Police Sgt. David Sullivan, $192,419
  10. Director of Community Development Glenn Clancy, $187,921
  11. Belmont Light Director of Engineering and Operations Mark Piccarini, $185,665
  12. Police Sgt. Paul Garabedian, $181,788
  13. Belmont Light Assistant General Manager Sanjin Osmancevic, $181,758
  14. Assistant Superintendent of Schools Janice Darias, $178,673
  15. Police Sgt. Brendan Young, $175,464
  16. Belmont Public Schools Director of Finance and Operations Anthony DiCologero, $171,694
  17. Police Capt. Brendan O’Leary, $171,280
  18. Assistant Public Work Director/Highway Division Manager Michael Santoro, $170,901
  19. Police Sgt. Richard Murphy, $170,557
  20. Butler Elementary School ELE teacher Meghan Gallagher, $169,295
  21. Belmont Public Schools’ Director of Human Capital Michael McAllister, $169,150
  22. Belmont Light Lead Line Worker Thomas Ricci, $168,974
  23. Public Works Director Jason Marcotte, $167,582
  24. Police Sgt. Marc Pugliese, $166,220
  25. Belmont Light First Class Line Worker Nicholas Kacoyanis, $163,648

Heartbreak Season: Belmont Volleyball’s Tournament Ends Early As Lincoln-Sudbury Upsets Marauders In Thriller

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Photo: Belmont senior Isabella Radojevic (number 1) led the way for the Marauders vs LB

The playoffs are “heartbreak season in the sporting world … when pain is felt in its most acute form,” David Coggins wrote this month in his “The Contender” website on Substack.

Heartbreak is the only word to describe what occurred in the Wenner Field House Friday evening, Nov. 3. Heartbreak for the players and fans of the Belmont High Girls’ Volleyball, whose season included a historic first Middlesex League Liberty title and a formidable record of 17 wins from 19 matches.

But all the hard work and records are now at the wayside as the 9th-seeded Marauders would take the match vs. Lincoln-Sudbury to five sets but end up losing to the Warriors, 16-14, in the fifth (20-25, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 14-16). And the pain was made only more inflicted after a controversial call at the net at 14 in the fifth set, allowing L-S’s senior Emma Agne to serve an uncontested ace to end what was one of the most thrilling matches either team played this year.

While the Warriors were jumping, ecstatic that they would be facing eight-seed Bishop Feehan, the Belmont team (17-3) was stunned into silence as the players slowly walked back to where their backpacks were located. Only when they stopped to pack up their gear for the final time did the emotions – mostly in tears, some in righteous indignation for the penultimate decision – come out in all its excruciating simplicity.

Teammates held their friends – so they didn’t have to cry alone – coaches, dealing with their disappointment, offered a hand, a thoughtful few words, and parents waiting across the field house with open arms.

Belmont Head Coach Jen Couture was expecting to be tested Friday as it was the first round of the playoffs, and the Marauders were facing one of last year’s Division 1 state finalists, losing to Newton North in the championship match.

“I have nothing but good things to say about Lincoln Sudbury,” she said after the game. “When you enter a tournament game, every team will be really good. They were incredible blockers, probably the best we’ve seen all year,” said Colture of the team coached by Greg Falcone.

“It was still a good game for us. Just not every little thing came out in the way we wanted to,” she said.

L-S’s two-player blocking scheme was immediately effective at the start, especially on Belmont’s senior standout Isabella Radojevic (17 kills, three aces, 15 received serves, four digs), as L-S built a quick 1-5 lead. Every time Belmont would tie or come within a point in the first set, the Warriors would counter with a run of their own, which was the pattern of play all match long.

Belmont’s first lead, 14-13, via a combined block from Sophia Qin and Eva Grant, was short-lived as L-S took it up to 17-19 with the first look of the Warriors’ exciting junior Gabby Pierre (14 kills), who when on the floor with Radojevic produced sparks on the front line.

While Belmont scrapped back to 19-21, the Warriors would take the set on a 4-1 run.

The second set was a nail-biter as Belmont again fell behind 5-10 before sophomore Wuyee Ke concluded a 5-0 run with an ace to pair up the second set at 10. The teams would be tied at 22 when first-year Yekaterina Polina stoned a Warrior kill attempt by herself before Ke made a one-arm dig from the floor, which Radojevic sent cross-court for the winner that sealed the set two serves later at 25-23.

The third set was a carbon copy of the previous as no team held a lead of more than three points. The presence of senior Sonya Ivkovic (11 kills, one solo, one combined block) at the net was the difference maker, whose hitting and blocking allowed Belmont to surge ahead 23-18. But The Warriors would make it tight at 24-22 on a down-the-line smash from junior Joyce Li. But Belmont hung on for the 25-22 win and two sets to one lead.

The fourth set saw Belmont race out in front 8-4, only for L-S to make a 5-1 service run. In a set that saw several long rallies, Belmont would pull ahead 17-13 through sophomore Ella Mizuta, only for Li to give a 17-18 lead with two critical points via combination blocks from Pierre and senior Abby Venis. It did appear a two-point push that gave Belmont a 21-19 was harbingers to come, but Pierre – who was outjumping very one by more than 6 inches if not a foot – who took the set by the throat to tie the sets at two.

It came down to a fifth set sprint to 15, in which L-S took a quick 2-5 lead, but Ivkovic was a presence in the middle and helped push Belmont into the lead at 7-6. While the Warriors would come back to move ahead 8-10, Belmont’s 13 in Ivkovic didn’t show any nervousness as she made a pair of kills, including one off a block that tied the score at 12-12. With Radojevic and Pierre on the court, it came down to which of the six players on each team would make a play. With L-S serving for the match at 13-14, Radojevic pulled out a strong shot that L-S miscued to tie at 14.

Now, the controversy. By winning the point at 14-14, either team would be serving to win the match. Agne smashed a great assist that Hashioka dug off the floor. The save barely cleared the net directly in the path of Venis, who won the point with a kill. Yet it was apparent that the net moved as Venis hit the ball. Did Venis’s hand hit the net, which would have given the point to Belmont, or did the net move by the ball? For a second or two, both teams’ attention was directed to the net judge, who deemed the ball caused the net’s movement, to the dismay of the Marauders in the field house.

Watch the play (at 1:20) here.

After the match, Colture said Lincoln-Sudbury held a surprising advantage during the match, being an overwhelming underdog.

“There is that pressure as the higher seed,” said Colture. “There’s an expectation you have, and the other team has no expectations. They had nothing to lose, and we played like we did have something to lose, and I think that is what happened.”

Thoughts now turn to the future as Belmont loses several key players to graduation.

“We still have a young team, and they’re getting that experience, and there’s so many sophomores out there. There are a lot of young players who like to play at this level. It’s their first time playing in a state tournament game, and there was a little bit of nerves there many of them will be returning next year.

Yet right now, the heartbreak is knowing that the companionship of teammates made on the court during games, in the locker room, and on long bus rides during evening rush hours has come to an end.

“What’s harder than losing is that your time together is done sooner than you thought,” she said.

“Personally, it’s not the pride of needing to get further in the tournament that hurts. Winning earns you more time together. What’s harder than losing is that your time together is done sooner than you thought,” Colture said. “And I think that’s the hardest part for everybody, especially the seniors.”

‘Our Last Chapter’: Trinktisch, Craft Beer Cellars Closing New Year’s Eve As Owners Failed To Find Buyers

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Photo: The location of Trinktisch and Craft Beer Cellars in Belmont Center

It was a sad day when the news was revealed in August that Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker, the co-founders of Craft Beer Cellar and Trinktisch European Food Hall on Leonard Street in Belmont Center, were putting their local businesses up for sale.

And while it appeared the two landmark retail operations would-likely continue with new owners, the reality was announced in a social media post on Nov. 1 that both the store and restaurant will be closing for good on the last day of the year, Dec. 31.

The $1,080,000 price tag on the flagship store in the Craft Beer Cellar franchise universe with its thousands of loyal customers and the restaurant which has become a lively family destination known for its German entries and beer combinations, was too much for “a local individual, family, or group, to pick up where we will leave off,” said Schalow in August.

The headwinds preventing the sales were several: the long lasting negative impacts of the global pandemic the beer industry, retail, and restaurants, alike, on-going staffing challenges, and finally “irreconcilable differences with our landlord, which has ultimately dissolved any parties interest in purchasing our businesses, as we had hoped.”

“Time has run its course and now it’s time for us to live our last chapter,” said the couple on social media.

Thirteen years since opening a concept of selling craft beef from a narrow storefront on Leonard Street that developed into a nation wide franchise, Schalow and Baker discovered that more than a decade “without a real vacation or traveling,” running a franchise from a basement office, then adding a restaurant – a dream for the partners – took a significant toll.

“We are simply tired and ready to change gears, and feel certain that now is the time to make this change in our lives,” they said.

Schalow and Baker wanted their patrons, guests and fellow Belmont residents to know “it wasn’t you” that made their decision.

“[Y]ou’ve been wonderful and if not for YOU we would have never made it 13 lovely years!” they said. “We are so humbled to have been members of the Belmont, Belmont Business, and Belmont Center Communities for these years. We are ever grateful for your continued support, positivity, love, and friendship.”

“While not the outcome we had envisioned, we intend to enjoy our final two months of operation and will hope that we see you as often as possible, as we wrap up both businesses,” they said.

“Rest assured that we will keep working hard to provide the best in beer, wine, food, and hospitality, until the very end.”

As a coda, Schalow and Baker said they not leaving Belmont, nor will they be leaving the beer industry as they will continue to build the Craft Beer Cellar franchise brand while keeping busy visiting places, judging beers, write books, and make many more contributions to the beer universe.

“We have given our heart and soul to our businesses and now it’s time to take a step back, stay grateful for our experiences, and forge a new trail ahead,” they said.

Belmont High Field Hockey Dismantles Durfee, 7-0, In MIAA Div. 1 Playoff Opener; Next Central Catholic Tuesday

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Photo: The ball heading for the back of the net from Brynn Connelly, one of seven Belmont scored against Durfee in its 7-0 shutout first round match in the MIAA Division 1 state championship.

Six different players scored as Belmont High School Field Hockey used a total team effort to dismantle Fall River’s Durfee High, 7-0, in the opening round of the MIAA Division 1 state tournament held on Harris Field, Nov. 2.

“People are going to look at this result and say, ‘Maybe we should be looking at this team,” said Jess Smith, who has been leading the Belmont program for the past 20 years.

With the win, 11th ranked Belmont (15-3-1) heads to Lawrence for a Sweet 16 match against 6th seed Central Catholic (15-2-1) , who squeaked by Westford Academy, 2-1, on Thursday. Belmont defeated Westford, 2-0, in mid-September.

The game will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. on Central Catholic’s campus.

Belmont senior Gretchen Hanley leads the break out against Durfee High in the MIAA Div. 1 first round playoff game which the Marauders’ won 7-0

On a cold, calm evening, Belmont displayed from the start a combination of speed on the break out, a smothering defense across the pitch, and a rediscovered scoring touch that left Durfee with little in terms of answers the Marauders’ dominance. If the Hilltoppers had a game plan entering the game, it was swiftly thrown aside by a Belmont team held possession for most of the first quarter.

Sophomore midfielder Mackenzie Clarke picked up her brace early scoring twice within the first seven minutes of the match, scoring from distance from both the left and right side. Her second at 8:02 in the first was via a bullet reverse backhand which was helped by senior co-Capt. Carly Gaziano’s near total screen on the ‘topper’s goalie.

Team mates surround Belmont High senior co-Capt; Lola Rocci after the senior co-captain scored the Marauders’ fourth of seven goals against Durfee.

When senior co-captain Lola Rocci scored the team’s fourth catching the outside left post midway through the second quarter, the rout was officially on. The Marauders would score in each of the quarters as senior defender Brenna Aiello, senior attack Gretchen Hanley, and junior forward Brynn Connelly each earned their way onto the goal tally sheet. Senior co-Capt. Carly Gaziano picked up a pair of assists along with her goal and senior co-Capt., Tess Desantis playing a dominate role in a defensive mid

Senior Goalie Julia Hurlihy earned her second career playoff shut out as the defensive back line of first year Elsie Lakin-Shultz and sophomore Niamh Lesnik used their outstanding speed to shut down attacks down the wings while Junior Ana Hopkins held down the fort at center back.

Passing has been a hallmark of Belmont’s play in the second half of the season; Senior co-Capt. Tess Desantis reversing the field of play vs. Durfee.

“I don’t think we’ve ever scored seven goals in a tournament game,” said Smith, who earned her 200th career win this season. “What I love is that a bunch of different players scored.”

When asked about the season so far, Smith reiterated that “all year we’ve been beating all the teams with the exception of Watertown and Reading, who have one loss between them.”

No one’s really noticing us. Maybe that’s OK. Maybe we’ll sneak in and do some real damage the rest of the way in the tournament.”

Zzzzzz: How your senior captains look when a playoff game starts at 7:15 p.m. on a school night.

Bring Your Pumpkins And Pennies To Town Hall For A Good Cause This Saturday, Nov. 4

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Photo: Bring your pumpkins to Town Hall … but only on Saturday, Nov. 4!

Everyone loves the seasonal Halloween pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns that festoon front steps and around the doors. But some time after the holiday, those same variety of winter squash tends to get … messy.

So before your pumpkin takes a turn for the worse, bring them down to Belmont Town Hall on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. where Belmont Helps is holding its 4th annual Pumpkin Composting And Pennies Drive.

On Saturday, residents will be able to drive through and drop off pumpkins which are collected “in a large pile in a truck” to be donated to a composting company, said Amy Kirsch of Belmont Helps. “Usually by the time Halloween rolls around, there’s a lot of people with pumpkins that have … started to wilt and melt,” said Kirsch. “So we provide this service for the people.”

There is no limit to the number of round, orange squash one brings as “we will fill the truck,” she said.

Kirsch said the non profit will be collecting donations at the drop off that will go to fellow residents who are in need of food support.

“The needs of people we help grows in the winter, so it’s a great time for us to collect as many pennies as we can. So any loose change you have in your house and I know people have piggy banks, we’ll be happy to … and we’ll make sure people in need gets help.”

Banner Year: Belmont Girls’ Volleyball Takes First Middlesex Liberty Title, Set For Tournament Run

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Photo: Belmont High senior Isabella Radojevic is this season’s difference maker

The west wall of the Wenner Field House was recently festooned with brand new banners highlighting Belmont High School’s state, division, and league championship teams going as far back as the 1940s.

But one team is conspicuously missing from the wall of champions: Girls’ Volleyball, a program that has come close to bringing home silverware but could never seal the deal in the 30 years it’s been played.

But that was until this season.

“We’re about to put a banner up there,” said long-time Belmont head coach Jen Colture, as the Marauders swept aside the opposition in the Middlesex League Liberty Division to secure its first league title.

In a dominating 2023 season, Belmont went 14-1 in the league with an overall record of 17-2. This sets a new program record for overall wins and winning percentage, breaking the 16-4 record compiled in 2018. The team can match the best win total of 18 achieved during Belmont’s run to the Central East Division 1 section finals.

Ranked 9th in the MIAA Power Rankings, the Marauders roll into the Division playoffs on a 10-game winning streak, hosting a first-round match against 24-seed Lincoln-Sudbury (7-13) on Friday, Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Belmont High senior Isabella Radojevic

With a make-up of senior and underclass players who each contribute to the team’s success, there is a Marauder that stands out, and appropriately enough, she wears the number 1 jersey.

On the court, you can spot senior Isabella Radojevic with her ever-present smile and bouncy personality. But Radojevic is all business during rallies, especially when she’s on the front row. She leads the team with 201 kills this season, resulting from a combination of power and placement, skillfully striking balls down the sidelines and in open spaces on the court. Add to that, an impressive service tally along with a complete set of skills and Radojevic is essential for the team’s march in the tournament.

Radojevic importance to the team was in evidence last month when she was sidelined for two games due to a nagging injury. Without her on the court, Belmont lost to a good Woburn team in straight sets and then lost in five sets to Concord-Carlisle, a team they handled easily in the preseason.

Colture spoke at the time that Radojevic’s loss was seen as an opportunity for her varsity and some junior varsity athletes to play in alternative roles against teams that could press them in a playoff setting.

While no one can underestimate Radojevic’s importance to the team, Belmont is stacked with top-notch players. Sophomore Sophia Qin, the team’s setter – who quarterbacks the attack – has collected 542 assists on 1,817 attempts while leading the team in service aces with 60.

On the backline, junior Gabriella Hashioka has 264 digs or about 14 per match while all-around skill player sophomore Wuyee Ke doesn’t just lead the team with 426 receiving serves and 210 digs, she’s second in kills with 182.

Three seniors anchor the front, Soyna Ivkovic has 16 solo and five combined blocks while Eva Grant has a total of 20, with Sydney Boulanger on 10.