This Week: Primary Voting, Basketball Playoffs, and a Leap Day

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Photo: Go vote Tuesday.

On the government side of “This Week”

  • The Planning Board will hold an early morning meeting beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 2 at Town Hall. It will discuss the proposed zoning amendments for single residence C zoning and a number of issues regarding GR districts.

• Today, Feb. 29, is Leap Day, which is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the Earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days. It is also Sadie Hawkins Day, and if you know what that is, you are at least 50 years old and remember newspaper comic strips. (It’s when a woman proposes marriage to a man.) Also, it is a tradition in Ireland and Britain that women may propose marriage only in leap years. 

 • Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Monday, Feb. 29. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• ESL Conversation Circle for beginners takes place on Monday, Feb. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Girls Who Code will meet on Monday, Feb. 29 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Food Collaborative Board meeting will occur at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29 in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Tuesday, March 1 is the Massachusetts Presidential Primary Election. Go out and vote.

• Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries.

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may visit with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will have preschool story time at 9:30 a.m. 
  • Story Time for 2’s and 3’s is at 10:30 a.m.

• The Council on Aging holds Living Alone Social Group on Tuesdays at 2:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. It’s an exciting opportunity for seniors who live alone to increase their social supports and connections. Each week begins with an activity or presentation, and concludes with snacks and socializing. If you live alone and are looking for a chance to meet others, please contact facilitator Blake Benton, Social Work Intern, to join: bentonh@simmons.edu, or in-person at the Beech Street Center.

• The Belmont Public Library’s Teen Book Club is meeting in the Young Adult Room from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 to discuss An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet.

• Belmont High Boys’ Basketball host Brighton High in the first round of the MIAA Division 2 North Sectional Playoffs. Tipoff is 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 at the Wenner.

• It’s early release Wednesday (March 2) for Belmont’s four elementary schools and at Belmont High School.

• Infant Storytime, for infants up to 12 months and pre-walkers, includes a short program of songs and rhymes followed by time to play and socialize. The fun takes place on Wednesday, March 2, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Chenery Middle School students are invited on early release Wednesday to head over to the library’s Assembly Room on Wednesday. March 2 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., to do your homework while enjoying some hot chocolate. This is for middle schoolers only so high schoolers are on their own. This event is provided for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• What is becoming an annual event, the Belmont Public Library is proving room for the assembling of Peeps dioramas this Wednesday, March 2 at 2 p.m. in the Flett Room.

• The Belmont Boosters welcomes New York Giant Mark Herzlich to the Beech Street Center at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 who will talk about being a cancer survivor and read from his book “What it Takes – Fighting For My Life and My Love of the Game”

• Sustainable Belmont meets on Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• Parents of Music Students (POMS) will be holding its monthly meeting Wednesday, March 2, 7 p.m. in the Belmont High School’s Conference Room. 

• The Belmont High School Band Concert will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 in the school’s auditorium. The Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Jazz Collective will perform under the direction of director Paul Ketchen. 

• Belmont Historical Society Board meeting Wednesday, March 2 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Claflin Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• Storytime for 1’s for walkers and toddlers under 24 months will take place Thursday, March 3 at 10:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room, sharing simple stories, songs, and nursery rhymes and end with time to play.

• If you love building with LEGOs, this program is for you. The LEGOs Club lets kids from Kindergarten through 2nd-grade build with supplied LEGOs and the Belmont Public Library put all the creations on display in the Children’s Room. The fun begins Thursday, Oct. 1, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont High Girls’ Basketball squad is heading to Marblehead High to take on the Magicians in a first round match in the MIAA Division 2 North Sectional Playoffs. on Thursday, March 3. 7 p.m. start.

• The 7th- and 8th-grade Chorus and Orchestra Concert for the Chenery Middle School will be in performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 3 in the school’s auditorium.

• Healthy Living for Your Brain & Your Body is a free workshop by the Alzheimer’s Association. will be held Friday, Mar. 4 at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. Join us to learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging. This one-time workshop is open to all ages. 

This Week: Special Town Meeting Monday, Screening ‘Selma’ Wednesday

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Photo: Town Meeting.

On the government side of “This Week”:

  • Special Town Meeting convenes at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22 at the Chenery Middle School auditorium. 
  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, in the teacher’s cafe in the Chenery Middle School. They’ll meet in executive session to discuss Cushing Village and hear a fiscal 2017 budget update. 
  • The Belmont School Committee is meeting at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22 at the Chenery Middle School to discuss what’s happening at the Special Town Meeting.
  • The Planning Board is meeting at Town Hall on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. On the agenda will be an update on Cushing Village, changes to a subcommittee to review possible Airbnb regulations and proposed Zoning amendments for single residency C zoning.
  • The Belmont School Committee is meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Chenery Middle School to discuss the fiscal 2017 budget  and an update on the fine arts department.
  • The Warrant Committee is meeting in joint session with the School Committee and Board of Selectmen at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 24 at the Chenery to hear the news on the fiscal 2017 budget for both town and schools.

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Monday, Feb. 22. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• ESL Conversation Circle for beginners takes place on Monday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Girls Who Code will meet on Monday, Feb. 22 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• Belmont Storm Water Working Group is holding its monthly meeting on Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. 

• Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries.

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may visit with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will have preschool story time at 9:30 a.m. 
  • Story Time for 2’s and 3’s is at 10:30 a.m.

• The Parent/Teacher Band will hold its first rehearsal in the Chenery Middle School auditorium on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m.

• Students in  Belmont’ four elementary school have an early release Wednesday, Feb. 24.

• The Belmont Public Library is holding a Crafternoon in which kids can make a Pinecone Critter on Wednesday, Feb 24 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Kids in grades K-4 can have fun turning pinecones into all kinds of animals!

• In honor of African American History Month, and in conjunction with the Council on Aging’s African American History Month Film Series, the Belmont Public Library invites the public to its premiere showing of the film, Selma,  at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb 24. The biopic follows Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legendary march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama during the height of the civil rights movement. Enjoy popcorn and refreshments on the library while you watch.

• The Chenery Middle School Art Department is holding its “Elective Collective” on Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the school’s auditorium.

• Storytime for 1’s – for walkers and toddlers under 24 months – will be held Thursday, Feb. 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. We’ll share simple stories, songs, and nursery rhymes, and end with time to play.

• It’s senior night for Belmont High Girls’ Basketball as the playoff-bound Marauders host 17th ranked Lexington (15-5) at the Wenner at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25.

• The Chenery Middle School Grade 6 Band, Chorus and Orchestra Concert will take place at the school’s auditorium from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25.

• Jon Mattleman will present a talk, “50 Shades of Parenting” on Thursday, Feb. 25, from 7 p.m. to  9 p.m. at the  Belmont High School auditorium. A licensed social worker, Mattleman will teach parents the tools and strategies to immediately improve the emotional and mental health of your teen and your relationship with them. Join Mattlema as he presents approaches which have proven to be critical to building healthy relationships.

• The Friends of the Belmont Public Library present author David Updike as part of its Library Friends Author Series on Thursday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Updike will speak about his father John Updike’s early life in a talk entitled Family Archeology: Pictures, Objects, Words .  David Updike combines family photographs with prose from John Updike’s stories and memoirs (in addition to excerpts from short stories written by John’s mother), to reveal important aspects of John Updike’s life.

• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Jan. 29, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters Brown Bag Lunch program will discuss sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the schools, particularly in the high school. The free talk takes place Friday, Feb. 26, noon to 2 p.m. in the Flett Room.

• Sgt. Daniel M. Clark, known as “The Singing Trooper” will be performing at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Feb. 26 at 1:15 p.m. During his 20-year tenure with the State Police, Clark performed at more than 2,500 Federal, State, Local, and Military functions. Clark is a Massachusetts icon and has performed with the Boston Pops as well as sung the National Anthem for the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins, and the Boston Celtics. All are welcome to his long-awaited return performance at the Beech Street Center. This event is offered free of charge thanks to a partnership between Hammond Real Estate and the Beech Street Center.

• It’s OTAKUrabu at the Belmont Public Library. Watch anime, do a craft/activity, plan for future events and nibble on some Japanese snacks (while they last – they’ll go fast) on Friday, Feb. 26 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Provided free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

This (Short) Week: Historical Society Talks Subways, Mad Science, Just Dance Party

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Photo: Mad Science: Up, Up and Away.

On the government side of This Week:

  • The Vision 21 Implementation Committee meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Town Hall. 

• Due to the holiday, garbage and recycling pickup is delayed by a day. So if your pickup date is Tuesday, you’ll need to wait ’til Wednesday to drag you trash out to the curb.

• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located  at 75 Oakley Rd. at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.

• The staff from US Rep. Katherine Clark’s office will be available for walk-in office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

• If you have a bored middle and high school student at home on this rainy day, head over to the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on Tuesday, Feb. 16 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. where the staff will have board games for your children and you to play. The library has lots of games, but you can also bring your own board or video games. For teens 5th grade and up.

• The International Fiction Book Club will discuss Life and Death are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. Join the club for fun conversation, tea, and snacks. Everybody is welcome. If you have questions or need help finding a copy of the book, contact Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net.

• The Belmont Historical Society is hosting author Doug Most who will discuss his book The Race Underground:  Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. All are welcome to attend this free program.

• Here is a winter recess activity that fun and educational: Mad Science: Up, Up and Away is a  spellbinding science show illustrates the principles of air pressure. Children will be amazed as a soda bottle is crushed by the atmosphere, see a hot air balloon made out of a dry cleaning bag, and get the chance to watch a hovercraft in action. The fun takes place on Thursday, Feb. 18 from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

It’s Senior Night as the Belmont High School Boys Basketball team honors a great group of players before its game with Lexington at 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18 in the Wenner Field House. 

• Staff from State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s office will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Friday, Feb. 19 beginning at 10 a.m. 

 • Teens, is vacation getting boring? Come and have fun with a Just Dance Party at the Belmont Public Library on Friday, Feb. 19 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Teens 5th grade and up welcome to attend. No sign up necessary; just drop in.

This Week: Special Town Meeting (Maybe) Monday, A Cappella Night Rescheduled

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Photo:

The government side of “This Week”:

  • Special Town Meeting will convene at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8 at the Chenery Middle School concerning a vote to approve or reject a new regional agreement for Minuteman Tech.
  • The Board of Selectmen will be meeting briefly in public at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 8 at the Chenery Middle School to vote the warrant for the Presidential Primary and the amendment to the creation of the Belmont High School Building Committee before going into executive session to discuss Trapelo Road and Cushing Village.
  • The Energy Committee is meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 8 a.m. in Town Hall to discuss its priority projects including a discussion of whether to use dryer heat waste in the home as one of those priorities.
  • The Community Preservation Committee will be preparing for the annual Town Meeting and will hear an update on the PQ Playground application on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.
  • The Board of Health will host a meet and greet with Belmont Public School’s Director of Nursing Service Mary Conant Cantor at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.

• This month’s Books and Bites event will feature Belmont Public Library librarian Miriam MacNair who will discuss the life and work of poet Denise Levertov. The talk will take place on Monday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. in the library’s Assembly Room. Levertov was acclaimed by Kenneth Rexroth in The New York Times as “the most subtly skillful poet of her generation.”

• ESL Conversation Circle for beginners takes place on Monday, Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Girls Who Code will meet on Monday, Feb. 8 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

Not attending Special Town Meeting? Bummer! Here is a pair of outstanding counter-programming you can attend instead: 

  • The Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative‘s Parent Lecture Series continues with “Social Success for Tweens and Teens; Understanding and Supporting Social Development in the Middle School Year” with Peter Rosenmeier, LICSW, clinical director of The Gifford School, will be held on Monday, Feb. 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Burbank Elementary School Cafeteria (new location). Drawing on current research into the developing adolescent brain, best practices in social work and psychology, and more than 30 years’ experiences working with adolescents and their families, Rosenmeier will help unravel some of the mysteries of middle schoolers’ emerging social selves.  We will be sure to make time for discussion about practical solutions to real-life dilemmas.
  • Another special night of singing at Belmont High School as the school is holding its annual A Cappella Night on Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. (snow date, Tuesday, Feb. 9)

• Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries.

  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may visit with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will have preschool story time at 9:30 a.m. 
  • Story Time for 2’s and 3’s is at 10:30 a.m.

• State Rep. Dave Rogers‘ staff will be available for walk-in office hours on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 9 a.m.

• Experience El Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in Galicia, Spain, with Nancy Nee Hanifin, founder and co-chair of the Boston Chapter of the American Pilgrims of the Camino, at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9. Snow date will be Feb. 16.

• Elementary students now have their own book club so come join other 2nd and 3rd graders to talk about this month’s book, The World According to Humphrey, by Betty G. Birney on Thursday, Feb. 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the Flett Room. Register online or by calling the Children’s Department at 617-993-2880.

• The developers of Belmont Uplands will be holding an information session concerning the affordable housing lottery for Acorn Park (that’s the name being used) on Wednesday, Feb. 10
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. 

• The Chenery Middle School Symphonies Concerts will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11 in the Chenery Auditorium. 

• The monthly meeting of Belmont Against Racism will be held in the Flett Room on
Thursday, Feb. 11, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Feb. 12, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will discuss Deephaven by Sarah Orne Jewett on Friday, Feb. 12  from 11 a.m. to noon in Classroom A at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Published in 1877, Deephaven is a nuanced work of fiction that explores life in a town in Maine. The Senior book discussion group is co-sponsored by the Belmont Public Library and the Belmont Council on Aging.  All are welcome to attend.
 
• Attention teens at Belmont High School: Looking for a new community service opportunity that will look great on your college applications? Come to the Belmont Public Library Teen Advisory Board meeting on Friday, Feb. 12, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the library’s Young Adult Room. Sign up to attend by stop by the library’s reference desk, or call 617-993-2873.

This Week: Cooking Tasting, Valentines for Veterans, Transition to College

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Photo: Pasta e Fagioli.

On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Board of Selectmen is meeting on Monday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall to extending the trash contract and open and discuss the Special Town Meeting warrant.
  • Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee will hold a meeting updating the committee’s work from 8 a.m. to 9. a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at Town Hall.
  • The Warrant Committee meets at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Chenery Middle School to discuss its recommendation on the Special Town Meeting and review the four-year financial model. 
  • Precinct 5 Caucus to elect a new Town Meeting Member when it meets at the Beech Street Center at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28. 

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Flett Room on Monday, Jan. 25. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• The Burbank Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Monday, Jan. 25 at 9 a.m. 

• ESL Conversation Circle for beginners takes place on Monday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Girls Who Code will meet on Monday, Jan. 25 from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• Belmont Boosters is meeting Monday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in Room 113 at Belmont High School. 

• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.

• The Wellington Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 9 a.m. 

• There will be a free Cooking Demo and Tasting on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at noon in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. It will include the preparation and tasting of the traditional and simple Italian Pasta e Fagioli (pasta with beans) to be followed by sharing of ideas on how to create other healthy and low-budget Italian dishes using legumes. Sponsored by the Belmont Food Collaborative.
 
• Learn iPad Basics on Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Register by calling the Reference Desk at 617-993-2870.
 
• Teen Book Club will discuss Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom on Tuesday, Jan. 26
7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Snacks will be provided. If you have any questions, please e-mail Kylie Sparks at ksparks@minlib.net or call 617-993-2873.
 
• The Winn Brook Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. 
 
• Valentines for Veterans program will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Come make valentines that will be given to U.S. military veterans. For children of all ages.
 
• The Belmont High School Speakers Series presents: “The College Transition: Embracing Challenges” on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Belmont High School Little Theatre. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, PhD and Catherine Bell from McLean Hospital will speak and take questions from the audience. This is free and open to the public.
 
• The Butler Elementary School grade 3 and 4 band, orchestra and chorus will perform at the school on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. 
 
• Storytime for 1’s – for walkers and toddlers under 24 months – will be held Thursday, Jan. 28, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. We’ll share simple stories, songs, and nursery rhymes, and end with time to play.
• Everyone is invited to Chinese Storytime which will take place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library from Thursday, Jan. 28, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
 
• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Jan. 29, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.
 
• Midterms are over so it’s time to celebrate; Belmont High will hold its semi-formal, all school dance at Belmont High School on Friday, Jan. 28. 

This Week: Tasteful Home Staging, Teen Dance Party, Learn Bollywood Dance Gold

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The government side of “This Week”:

  • The Planning Board will meet at Town Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. where it will finalize proposed zoning amendments for Single Residence C Zoning districts and discuss the decision-making process for GR Zoning District applications. And, an update on Cushing Village … AGAIN.
  • The School Committee meets on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School to hear updates on the district’s facilities, school calendar and from the Space Task Force. 
This week Belmont High School is holding mid-term exams so give all stressed-out teenagers plenty of room.
Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries:
  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • Pre-School Storytime at the Belmont Public Library beginning at 9:30 a.m. We’ll read longer books, sing, and dance, and make simple crafts. For 3-5-year-olds with a longer attention span. At 10:30 a.m., is Story Time for 2’s and 3’s.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger will hold office hours at the Belmont Public Library on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

• Staff from U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark’s office will be available for walk-in office hours at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from noon to 1 p.m.

• Deb Lockett will lead a free workshop on Tasteful Home Staging at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 1:15 p.m. She will share tips on what home buyers are looking for and how homeowners can prepare their homes to be competitive in the marketplace. If you are not planning to move soon, staging your home makes it attractive for you and visitors while you live in it and also gets you ready should you decide to move in the future. 

• Meet Belmont artist Roz Grunmann at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. who has her pastels on display at the Center through Jan. 29. Learn the inspiration and story of her tropical themed works, and ask questions about her technique and travels. Refreshments provided.

• It’s exam week at Belmont High Schools so what better time for a dance party. The Belmont Public Library will be hosting a “Just Dance” teen dance party from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 in the library’s Assembly Room.

• The Beech Street Center will present a five-week class teaching a new exercise class, Bollywood Dance Gold, over five weeks beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. One of the fastest growing dance forms in the world, Bollywood Dance is a full cardio workout, strengthens muscles and helps you stay fit. It incorporates Indian bhangra, belly-dancing, jazz, and pop music. Learn basic rhythm, arm and foot movements in creatively choreographed sessions with upbeat Bollywood dance tracks. The dance is paced for members age 50+, and no dance experience required. Cost: $15.

• Infant Storytime, for infants up to 12 months and pre-walkers, includes a short program of songs and rhymes followed by time to play and socialize. The fun takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont Book Discussion Group will read and discuss “We are Completely Beside Ourselves,” by Karen Joy Fowler on Wednesday, Jan. 20 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the library’s Flett Room. Everyone is welcome to attend. Copies of the book can be requested through the library catalog or call the Reference library staff at 617-993-2870.

• Attention teens, grades 9 and up!  Looking for a new community service opportunity that will look great on your college applications? Come to the Belmont Public Library Teen Advisory Board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the library’s Young Adult Room. Sign up to attend by stop by the library’s reference desk, or call 617-993-2873.

• The Chenery Middle School Honors Concert will be held in the school’s auditorium at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20.

• Storytime for 1’s is for walkers and toddlers under 24 months will be held on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 10:30 a.m. in the library’s Flett Room. They will share simple stories, songs, and nursery rhymes, and end with time to play.

• Join other 2nd and 3rd graders to talk about this month’s book, Squish: Super Amoeba by Jennifer Holm on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 3:30 p.m. to  4:15 p.m. in the Flett Room. Please register by clicking on the hand icon here or by calling the Children’s Department at 617-993-2880.

• Dr. Jolene Ross of the Foundation for Wellness Professionals will speak on “Natural Solutions for Executive Function Struggles and ADHD” on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room  All are welcome to attend this free program.

• The Belmont Storm Water Working Group will be holding its monthly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Jan. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.

• Local health counselor and wellness coach Sigal Bar-Gill will offer ways to lower chronic inflammation at a talk at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 22 at 1:15 p.m. 

• The school district is declaring Jan. 22 to Jan. 24 as a homework free weekend. This decision will give your student more time clearing snow from the sidewalks. 

This Week: Parents Lecture Series Begins, Learn About Solar, Sing-a-Rama Is Here

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On the government side of “This Week”

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen meets at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11 at Town Hall for a marathon presentation on a review of the town’s sewers and long-standing pollution concerns coming from Belmont into the Mystic River watershed at Wellington and Winn’s brooks.
  • The Zoning Board of Appeals is also meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11 but in the Belmont Art Gallery on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex. It will review a request to build a Dunkin’ Donuts in a small strip mall at Pleasant and Brighton as well take up a matter concerning a resident who is seeking to rent a room for less than a week via the website Airbnb. 
  • The Community Preservation Committee will review the final applications for CPC’s grants at its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. at Town Hall.

• Belmont Public Library’s Books and Bits Series welcomes author Henriette Lazaridis Power who will read from her novel “The Clover House” on Monday, Jan. 11 from 11 a.m. ’til noon in the library’s Assembly Room. The novel brings to life World War II-era and modern-day Greece, and tells the story of a vibrant family and the tragic secret kept hidden for generations.

• Kids, let’s use polymer clay to make cute charms of animals, food, and more! The crafts workshop, which will take place on Monday, Jan. 11, from 3:30 p.m. to 5  p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. For kids in 4th to 6th grades. Registration required by calling the Children’s Department at 617-993-2880.

• The inaugural talk in the Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative (BASEC) Parents Lecture Series is “Embrace and Let Go – Understanding Digital Dependency” with Joni Siani, media and communication scholar, author/filmmaker of “Celling Your Soul; No App for Life” who will speak beginning at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 11 in the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont libraries:
  • Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • Pre-School Storytime at the Belmont Public Library beginning at 9:30 a.m. We’ll read longer books, sing, and dance, and make simple crafts. For 3-5-year-olds with a longer attention span.

• Staff from State Rep. Dave Rogers’ office will be available for walk-in office hours on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

• A screening of the film “Doctor Zhivago,” produced in 1965 starring Julie Christie, Omar Sharif, and Sir Alec Guinness, will be shown at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 1:15 p.m. Boris Pasternak’s masterpiece brings to life the Russian Revolution through the story of the gifted physician-poet Zhivago.

• Belmont cellist Shivane Pratapper performs works by Vivaldi, Goltermann and more at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 3:30 p.m.

• Infant Storytime, for infants up to 12 months and pre-walkers, includes a short program of songs and rhymes followed by time to play and socialize. The fun takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• Meet Belmont Veterans Service Officer Bob Upton for veterans’ benefits questions on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at noon at the Beech Street Center.

• Learn iPad Basics on Wednesday, Jan. 13, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Register by calling the Reference Desk at 617-993-2870.

• It’s OTAKUrabu at the Belmont Public Library. Watch anime, do a craft/activity, plan for future events and nibble on some Japanese snacks (while they last – they’ll go fast) on Wednesday, Jan. 13 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Provided free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

• Learn more about solar in Belmont and meet the selected installer partner, Direct Energy Solar, on Wednesday, Jan. 13,  at 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium.

• It’s Sing-a-rama where all choral groups in Belmont schools come to perform at Belmont High School’s auditorium from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 13.

• Storytime for 1’s is for walkers and toddlers under 24 months will be held on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 10:30 a.m. in the library’s Flett Room. They will share simple stories, songs, and nursery rhymes, and end with time to play.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters monthly meeting takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14 in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s staff will be available for walk-in office hours at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 15, at 10 a.m.

• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Jan. 15, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.

This Week: Cushing Village Before Planning, Spanish in Motion, LEGOs Club

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Photo: ABC Spanish in Motion.

On the government side of this week:

  • The Planning Board will meet for the first time in 2016 on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. to will discuss … drumroll, please … Cushing Village! as well as the future of possible new bylaws on residents who rent rooms via the Internet booking site Airbnb.
  • The Belmont School Committee will go over the Social Studies Plan for Action in addition to an athletics update on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.
  • The Capital Budget Committee is meeting a few hours later than usual at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Town Hall to review all capital projects in its docket but, in particular, Belmont High School, the library and modular classrooms to elivate overcrowding at Belmont’s six public schools.

• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.

• Sing-Along with Julie will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• Enjoy a pictorial visit to the forests of Peru’s Amazonia, one of the most pristine, wildlife-rich places left on the planet, with Earthwatch’s volunteer Mark Hopkins at the Beech Street Center at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Mark’s photography will show the work being done with the region’s monkeys and other terrestrial mammals, caimans, macaws, manatees and fish, as well as its fascinating and unique pink fresh-water dolphins.

• Join Karen Halloran of CareOne at Lexington at the Beech Street Center beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5 for a discussion of foods, cooking techniques, and fitness and nutritional tools that people concerned about preventing Diabetes Type 2, and people with Diabetes can use to make their diet more healthy and exciting.

• Chenery Middle School students are invited to head over to the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Wednesday, Jan. 6 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., to do your homework while enjoying some hot chocolate. This is for middle schoolers only so high schoolers are on their own. This event is provided for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• Sustainable Belmont will be meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 6 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont Woman’s Club will convene its Board meeting in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room at at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6.

• The Parents of Music Students POMS is meeting at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 6 in the Belmont High School Conference Room.

• The Friends of the Belmont Public Library will be meeting on Thursday, Jan. 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.

• ABC Spanish in Motion, a program for children, will take place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library on Thursday, Jan. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

• The LEGOs Club is back at the Belmont Public Library! If you love building with LEGOs, this program is for you. Kids in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade will build with our LEGOs and we’ll put all the creations on display in the Children’s Room. The fun begins Thursday, Jan. 7, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.

• Everyone is invited to Chinese Storytime which takes place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. 0n Thursday, Jan. 7.

• Literacy Playgroup is a parent and child group that supports child’s language and literacy development on Friday, Jan. 8, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Flett Room. You’ll play, read, sing and take home new ideas. Presented by educators from the CFCE grant program; for children age 4 and under.

• Members of the Belmont Board of Selectmen will be ready to take your questions at the Beech Street Center beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 8. 

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet on Friday, Jan. 8 from 11 a.m. to noon to at the Beech Street Center to discuss the novel Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather.

• Long-term care insurance can be a confusing product. It has been described as having “a lot of moving parts.” In a workshop presented by Hans Hug, Jr., owner of the LTC Insurance Group, Exeter NH, Hugs will examine how a modern this insurance policy really works. It will be held at 1:15 p.m., Friday, Jan. 8 at the Beech Street Center. 

This Week: Winter Break Movie Tuesday, New Year’s Mixer at the Beech

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Photo: Minnons on Tuesday.

On the government side of this week:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen will be meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, Dec. 28 in Town Hall to renew the Belmont Media Center’s agreement and review its annual report, the presentation of an RFP for the town’s Verizon contract and the appointment of a new member of the Planning Board.

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Flett Room on Monday, Dec. 28.  There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m on Tuesday, Dec. 29. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.

• Back from visiting relatives and wondering what you can do with those kids out on the holiday recess? How about taking in a Winter Break Movie at the Belmont Public Library? Beginning at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29, the library will be screening “MINIONS” in the Assembly Room. The movie is rated PG and has a running time of 1 hour 31 minutes. Snacks will be provided!

• Musician David Polansky returns to the Beech Street Center for its annual New Year’s Mixer on Tuesday, Dec. 29, beginning at 3 p.m. One of the most popular musicians to entertain at the Center, David Polansky will regale us with seasonal and holiday music, including original tunes.

• Celebrate New Year’s Eve a few hours early with a Family Dance Party on Thursday, Dec. 31 with Jeff Jam who plays upbeat kids’ classics for little ones from newborns to six-year-olds and their families. The show starts at 10:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

This Christmas Week: Madrigal Singers at the Beech, Basketball’s First Time on the New Court

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Photo: Belmont High Madrigal Singers.

On the government side of “This Week”

  • It’s a holiday edition of the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Monday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. After a few administrative duties, the board will hear a two-hour presentation of Pension Obligation Bonds and an actuarial report on the town’s OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits). Oh boy!
  • The Cable TV Advisory Committee is meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. at Town Hall to discuss Verizon’s contract renewal. 

• Music & Movement with Rubi, a movement and music program recommended for ages 3 to 5 (but 2-year-olds are welcome) will be held in the Assembly Room on Monday, Dec. 21. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• The Belmont Public Library is holding a Teen Holiday Party on Monday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies, make tree ornaments, eat pizza and snacks, and sing karaoke. For teens 5th grade and up. Free, no sign-up necessary. If you have any questions, please ask Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net

• The “new” court in the Wenner Field House will see its first varsity basketball games as the Belmont High School Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball teams will face the Wildcats of Wilmington High on Monday, Dec. 21. The Boys’ game will start at 5 p.m. and the Girls’ at 7 p.m.

• Pre-School Story Time at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer-run library, at 10:30 a.m on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Stories and crafts for children age 3 to 5. Parents or caregivers must attend. Siblings may attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.

• The Belmont High School Madrigal Singers will perform seasonal music at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. 

• Come see the Belmont High Girls’ Ice Hockey team – no longer a cooperative with Watertown – play on home ice as they host the Wilmington High Wildcats at the “Skip” (the skating rink on Concord Avenue) at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23. 

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day office hours around Belmont:

  • Town Hall and all Town Offices will close at noon on Thursday, Dec. 24 and remain closed on Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25.
  • The Belmont Public Library will have limited hours on Thursday, Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. until noon and will be closed on Christmas day, Friday, Dec. 25 and Boxing Day, Saturday, Dec. 26. 
  • Beech Street Center will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24, Christmas eve, and Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25 for the Holiday.