This Week: Town Meeting Starts Monday, Annual Pops Concert Friday and Saturday

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Photo: Town Meeting in Belmont.

This week begins the annual Town Meeting starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 4, at the Belmont High School auditorium. Expect a second night on Wednesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. at the same place.

Other governmental business “This Week” include: 

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen will meet before Town Meeting at 5:30 p.m., Monday, May 4, in the Main Office’s conference room of Belmont High School to vote on its support (or lack thereof) of the Warrant articles and the fiscal year 2016 budget.
  • The Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in Belmont Town Hall is hear some special permit requests and other actions. 
  • The Underwood Pool Building Committee will be meeting on Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Belmont Town Hall. 

• Music & Movement with Rubi is all about moving to songs; recommended for ages 3 to 5 but 2 year olds are welcome.  There will be two sessions, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 4, 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 attend with adults. Registration is not required. The Benton Library is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• Registration for Smart 911, Belmont’s new enhanced emergency call system in which residents can supply dispatchers with information on their medications and medical conditions, will take place at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St, from 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, May 5.

• Kathy Devine of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs will speak about the state’s Prescription Advantage on Tuesday, May 5, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center.

• An Indian dinner, courtesy of The Friends of the Indian Seniors and catered by Arlington’s Punjab restaurant, will be served on Tuesday, May 5, at 5 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. There is a $4 cover at the door, but you must reserve a place by calling 617-993-2970. Limited to 50.

• Papercrafting for Adults; a Mother’s Day Floral Commemorative will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. All supplies included. For more information, including registering, either call 617-993-2870 or link here. 

• On early release Wednesday, May 6, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Chenery Middle School student can stop by the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room, work on your homework, enjoy some lemonade and cookies, and try out an activity. This is for middleschoolers only, so high school students can do something else. The activity is funded by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

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

• The LEGO Club for kindergarteners through second graders is back on Thursday, May 7, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Drop in anytime. Members will be creating their own unique LEGO structures. All LEGOs will be provided. Just bring your imagination!

• Belmont High School Performing Arts Company presents Improv! on Thursday, May 7, at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater of Belmont High School. $5 for adults. It’s the spring Long Form Show in which  actors will develop an on-the-spot, original series of scenes, complete with recurring characters, thematic development and possibly even improvised musical numbers.

• Belmont Girl Scouts leaders meeting will take place on Thursday, May 7, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet on Friday, May 8, at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center as the group will continue its discussion of War and Peace (Part 8 through the end of the book).

• Powers Music School faculty members will present the music of the “Great American Songbook” canon, including Jerome Kern, Richard Rogers, Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, and more on Friday, May 8, from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center.

• Parents of Music Students hosts the annual Belmont High School Pops Concert, an evening of light concert music, performed by the school’s Symphonic Band, Concert Chorale, Jazz Choir and Jazz Collective on Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria.

This Week: Preparing for Town Meeting, Planting Party, Gallery Talk

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Photo: Get your plants started now.

On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen and the Belmont School Committee will be holding a joint meeting at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 26, in Town Hall to discuss the fiscal 2016 budget and review the third quarter of the 2015 budget.
  • The Belmont Housing Authority is holding its annual meeting in Town Hall where it will elect its officers at 5 p.m., on Monday, April 26.
  • The Belmont School Committee holds its scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, where it will plan to address the current budget deficit.
  • The Belmont Planning Board meets at Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, where it will discuss the upcoming Town Meeting.
  • The Board of Selectmen, the School and Warrant committees will come together in a joint meeting to take apart the fiscal year 2016 town and school budgets on Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chenery Middle Schoool. 
  • The Capital Budget Committee will vote on the final budget it will present to Town Meeting on Thursday, April 30, at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.

• She’s back! Music & Movement with Rubi is all about moving to songs; recommended for ages 3 to 5 but 2 year olds are welcome.  There will be two sessions, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 27, in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• The Belmont Food Collaborative – the people who run the Belmont Farmers Market – is meeting on Monday, April 27, at 7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• 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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• The Beech Street Center is celebrating the arrival of spring with an outdoor’s Planting Program on Tuesday, April 28, at 10 a.m. They will be planting seeds to take home and also have some simple garden crafts; don’t miss this opportunity to connect with nature. All supplies will be provided.

• Be the next Charles Schultz or just someone who will have fun drawing as the Belmont Public Library presents “Learn to Cartoon,” a two-hour workshop on Tuesday starting at 6:30 p.m. See more here. 

 • The monthly meeting of the Belmont Art Association will take place on Tuesday, April 28,
7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont Democratic Town Committee Meeting is meeting on Tuesday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Selectmen’s Room in Belmont Town Hall for socializing and to hear State Sen. Mike Barrett  discuss his proposed legislation on climate change.

• Sustainable Belmont is meeting in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. 

• The annual meeting of the Board of Library Trustees will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, in the Assembly Room.

• Photographer and historian Jonathan Hansen will be giving a gallery talk on his show, “Cuba from a Different Angle, An intimate, knowing look at Cuba’s geography, its architecture and the lives of its people” on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Belmont Gallery of Art, located on the third floor of the Homer Building (in the Town Hall complex), 19 Moore St.

• Aneta Braam, Springwell’s registered dietitian, will present a workshop on “Cooking for One,” a cooking demonstration about how to prepare easy, delicious, and healthy meals for one or two people. There will be a taste test of the dishes afterward. The demonstration will take place on Friday, May 1, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center.

This (Short) Week: Mega Meeting on Minuteman Tuesday, Earth Day Talk Wednesday

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On the government side of “This Week”: 

  • The big four Belmont governmental bodies, the Board of Selectmen and the School, Capital Budget and Warrant committees, will conduct a joint meeting on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center to discuss the latest update on the proposed building project for the Minuteman Regional Vocational High School in Lexington. 
  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen will hold a “quick” meeting before the Minuteman presentation on Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at the Beech Street Center to sign a proclamation on the centennial of the Armenian Genocide and approve water and sewer rates for the coming fiscal year. 
  • The Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, April 23 at 6 p.m. in Town Hall to identify challenges facing each of the proposed path routes up for consideration. 

• There is no school this week due to Spring Recess. 

• US Rep. Katherine Clark will be holding office hours at noon on Tuesday, April 21 at the Beech Street Center. Her staff frequently bring coffee, so come by and chat.

• The Belmont Garden Club is holding a floral workshop on Wednesday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• Celebrate Earth Day by attending a talk by Environmental Toxicologist Dr. Emily Monosson on “Evolution and Environmental Toxins” presented by Science for the Public on Wednesday, April 22, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Monosson, an adjunct professor of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, will speak on how the world is exposed to an unprecedented environmental challenge: try to adapt to countless toxins in air, water, soil and how environmental toxins affect evolutionary mechanisms.

• Fossils and dinosaurs will be front and center during a wonderful children’s program at the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Thursday, April 23 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

• Robin Bromberg of the Alzheimer’s Association will speak at the Beech Street Center on Friday, April 24 at 1:15 p.m. to identify the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease to help determine if it’s time to speak to your doctor for a diagnosis for yourself or someone you care about.

This Week: Pulitzer Prize Winner Kristof on Wednesday, Let’s Talk Books on Tuesday

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Photo: Ken Gloss, owner of the Brattle Street Book Shop.

On the government side of “This Week”:

  • Community Meeting on Grove Street Playground will be held on Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. A first look at some draft proposals that would be part of a new Master Plan for the playground.
  • The Belmont School Committee is meeting on Tuesday, April 14, at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School to discuss the fiscal 2016 budget now that the Proposition 2 1/2 override was approved by voters. It will also discuss school choice and vote on the final day of school.
  • A full agenda at the Belmont Conservation Commission being held on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. It will discuss a proposal to allow parking on Rock Meadow for a week in June (9-14) to accommodate the PGA’s Senior Players Tournament being played at Belmont Country Club.

• Nichole Bernier will speak on her debut bestselling novel “The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.” at the Belmont Public Library’s Books and Bites event today, Monday, April 13 at 11 a.m. in the Assembly Room. 
A New England Independent Booksellers Association award finalist that spent eight weeks on The Boston Globe bestseller list, the novel is a portrait of two women and two families through the lens of one mother’s posthumous journals is a thoughtful exploration of the struggle for identity that women face.
Bernier is a writer for magazines, including Psychology Today and Boston Magazine and a 14-year contributing editor with Conde Nast Traveler.
All are welcome to attend this free program. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Refreshments will be provided. The Assembly Room is handicapped accessible.

• Dr. Tara Grimm of Bennett Family Eye Care in Belmont will give a talk on low vision – when a loss of eyesight makes everyday tasks difficult – on Monday, April 13, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• On Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School, Breaking Winds – yes, that’s its name – a quartet of bassoonists will be performing a free concert after giving a master class at the school. They will be doing a Lady Gaga melody. This concert is all made possible by POMS (Parents of Music Students).

• 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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 
• The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• State Rep. Dave Rogers holds office hours on Tuesday, April 14 at 9:30 a.m.

• Ken Gloss, owner of the Brattle Street Book Shop, brings his expert opinion on appraising books, book collecting and selling to the Belmont Public Library on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m.   Ken is often featured talking about books and their values on local and national television and radio programs. Major universities such as Harvard, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, Simmons, Suffolk, Tufts, and Babson have consulted with him on the value of their collections. The Brattle Street Book Shop, founded in the Cornhill section of Boston in 1825, has been in the hands of the Gloss Family since 1949. The program is open and free to all thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• The International Fiction Book Club will discuss How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid, in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Wednesday, April 15, from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Everybody is welcome. If you have questions, or need help finding a copy of either book, contact Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net
• The Parent/Teacher Band Concert will be held in the Chenery Middle School’s auditorium beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15. 

• The Belmont Historical Society presents actor Gerry Wright who will present his one-man play honoring the life and work of Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture who designed the grounds of McLean Hospital and Boston’s Emerald Necklace among many other famous parks, on Wednesday, April 15, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• New York Times columnist, author and Pulitzer prize winner Nicholas Kristof will speak on his book, “A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity,” on Wednesday, April 15, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Belmont High School’s auditorium.

• Well-loved local musician Liz Buchanan performs original songs and traditional favorites on Friday, April 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room.

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger will be holding office hours on Friday, April 17, 10 a.m. at the Beech Street Center.

This Week: Book Clubs Young and Old, Lemonade and Cookies, Town Business

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On the government side of This Week:

  • The Zoning Board of Appeals is meeting on Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the Homer Building (in the Town Hall complex off Moore Street). It will hear several requests for special permits for additions and such on residential property.  
  • The Community Preservation Committee is meeting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, at Town Hall to discuss its fiscal year 2016 budget and an update on the projects it funded in the past two years. 
  • The Board of Selectmen will meet on Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to reorganize (include selecting a new chair), sign the contract for the Belmont Center Reconstruction project, get an update on the commuter rail track repairs and sign the official warrant for Town Meeting. 
  • The Planning Board is meeting on Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall where it will discuss the upcoming Zoning Forum and related issues before Town Meeting next month.
  • The Capital Budget Committee meets on Thursday, April 8, at 5 p.m. in Town Hall to have a talk with reps from the facilities, schools and police departments as well as discuss its fiscal ’16 budget, in general terms.

• If you love music, come over to the Belmont High School auditorium, Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m. for Jazz Night featuring the Chenery Jazz Ensemble and the Belmont High School Jazz Collective with guest artist Trent Austin. And it’s free!

• The 7th-8th Grade Book Group from the Chenery Middle School meets Monday, April 6, at 7 p.m.  to discuss My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger, choose May’s book, and enjoy some snacks.

• Tuesday is Town Election in Belmont. Get out and vote!

• Mat Yoga, a new six-week exercise class taught by Susan Harris, begins this Tuesday, April 7, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. The level of difficulty of the new class is somewhere between the well-received Wednesday afternoon chair yoga class with Carol Wilson and Harris’ Tuesday evening yoga class. Cost: $48.

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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 
• The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• On early release Wednesday, April 8, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Chenery Middle School student can stop by the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room, work on your homework, enjoy some lemonade and cookies, and try out an activity.  This is for middleschoolers only, so high school students can do something else. The activity is funded by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

• The Book discussion group for elementary school students in the 3rd and 4th grades will be held Thursday, April 9 from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The Belmont Vision 21 Implementation Committee will be meeting Thursday, April 9 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. 

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet Friday, April 10 at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center to discuss Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece, War and Peace  (Part 1 through Part 7).  On Friday, May 8, the group will continue the discussion of War and Peace, starting at Part 8 through the end of the book.

This Week: Final Precinct Meeting, Two Great Concerts, Recycling Q&A, Rugby Mega Match

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On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Board of Selectmen is meeting a little earlier than normal, convening at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, March 30 at the Beech Street Center prior to the final precinct meeting of the spring. It will be accepting the latest statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority to help fund a new Belmont High School. 
  • The Board of Health meets on Tuesday, March 31, at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall where they will meet with Artur Nergaryan, owner of Art’s Specialties, the new cheese shop in town.
  • The Warrant Committee will be holding its bimonthly meeting on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.
  • Tree Hearing will take place in Town Hall on Thursday, April 2, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• The Saturday Morning Music School will be holding the All-Town Concert on Monday, March 30, at 7 p.m. at Belmont High School. The many ensembles featured on this concert include the SMMS All-Town Chorus (Grades 3-5), the All-Town Beginning and Advanced Orchestras (Grades 3-5), and the All-Town Beginning and Advanced Bands (Grades 4-5). This concert is open to the public and admission is free.

• The final precinct meeting on the fiscal 2016 budget and the Prop 2 1/2 override jointly hosted by the Belmont Board of Selectmen and the Financial Task Force will take place on Monday, March 30 at 7 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. 

• Storyteller and comedian David Shikes presents a collection of humorous situations and subjects including New England jokes at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, March 31, at 1:15 p.m. Shikes has been enthusiastically recommended anytime – so come join in the fun.

• An Easter tradition continues as the Belmont Public Library hosts a Peeps dioramas party on Tuesday, March 31 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room.

• After a postponement on Saturday, there is a good bet that the Belmont High School spring sports season will get underway on Tuesday, March 31 at 4:30 p.m. as the Belmont High Boys’ Lacrosse team hosts Shawsheen Valley Reg Tech High School at Harris Field. 

• Sustainable Belmont will host Carolyn Dann, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Municipal coordinator, and Mary Beth Calnan, Belmont’s Recycling coordinator, along with local experts for the group’s second annual Recycling Q&A. The meeting takes place on Wednesday, April 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• On Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m., a concert featuring the Belmont High Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Jazz Collective will take place at Belmont High School.  The Wind Ensemble will feature BHS Concerto Competition winner Hannah Messenger in a performance of Strauss’ Horn Concerto, Opus 8. The Jazz Collective is fresh off of a Silver Medal performance at the MAJE State Finals where senior Rowan Wolf was awarded Outstanding Soloist for all Division 2 bands in the state. This concert is open to the public and admission is free.

• The most anticipated matchup of the regular season in New England High School rugby takes place on the Harris Field pitch Wednesday as last year’s state champion Bishop Hendricken High School of Warwick, RI (the Rhode Island school is included with Massachusetts teams for the title) takes on Belmont High School Rugby Football Club at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 1. The teams have been the finalists in the state championships for three consecutive years with Belmont winning in 2013 and coming within five meters twice of defending its championship last year.  

• It’s LEGO time at the Belmont Public Library on Thursday, April 2! The library’s LEGO club is for kids in kindergarten through second grade who want to meet and create their own unique structures. All LEGOs will be provided so just bring your imagination to the Assembly Room from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• The Friends of the Belmont Public Library will meet on Thursday, April 2, from 9:30 p.m. to  11 a.m. in the Assembly Room.

• Half day of school on Friday due to the Good Friday holiday on Friday, April 3.

This Week: ‘Anything Goes’ Gets Going, Candidates’ Night Thursday, Shhhhhh Wednesday

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Photo: BHS/PAC’s “Anything Goes.” 

Two highlights “This Week”

• The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company presents its spring musical, Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” on Thursday, March 26 and Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m. and two shows on Saturday, March 28, a 1:30 p.m. matinee and at 7 p.m. Tickets: Adults: $15 in advance/$18 at the door; Students: $10; Chenery 8th Grade Students: $5. Buy tickets online: Buy Tickets and at Champions Sports in Belmont Center.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters is holding its annual “Candidates’ Night” on Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. in the Chenery Middle School auditorium.

The schedule is:

  • 7 p.m.: Meet your Town Meeting Members at their precinct
  • 7:30 p.m.: Town Meeting Members introduced themselves in order of precinct number 
  • 7:45 p.m.: Unopposed town-wide candidates will speak to the audience.
  • 8 p.m.: The candidates for Belmont Board of Selectmen will answer questions.

The Proposition 2 1/2 ballot question will be address, if necessary.

On the government side of “This Week”

  • The Capital Budget Committee will review its fiscal 2016 budget on Tuesday, March 24, at 5 p.m. in Belmont Town Hall.  
  • The Belmont School Committee will discuss the 2015-16 school year budget (including a request to add a religious holiday) and the latest application from the School District to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for a grant to help pay for a new Belmont High School. It all takes place on Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.
  • The Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee is meeting on Wednesday, March 25, at 6 p.m. in Town Hall where the committee will discuss the challenges to each possible path and the systematic approach to review those challenges.

Tuesday is story time at both of Belmont’s 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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2′s and 3′s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• Mel Simons will be presenting Everything’s Coming up Irish at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, March 24, at 1:15 p.m. The popular homegrown radio personality, author, and entertainer is back with an all Irish show in honor of St. Patrick’s Day (a little bit late). Irish songs, Irish jokes, Irish trivia; all Irish all the way.

• The Belmont Book Discussion group will discuss The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Wednesday, March 25, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.  Copies of the book can be requested through the library catalog or call the library Reference staff at 617-993-2870.

• Quiet Belmont will be holding a community meeting Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room on Wednesday, March 25, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Quiet Belmont is a citizen’s advocacy group fighting the airplane noise increase over Belmont. You can reach the group at quietbelmont@googlegroups.com

• The film, The Iron Lady, the biography of Margaret Thatcher which actress Meryl Streep received the Academy Award, will be screened for free on Friday, March 27, at 1 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

This Week: Learn About Gap Years, Affordable Housing in Belmont and The Great War

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On the government side of This Week:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen has a light agenda before them on Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The group looking to build a cul-de-sac and two houses at 863 Concord Ave. near McLean Hospital will before the Board of Survey (which the Selectmen also are) while the Selectmen will continue a deliberation on whether to award a beer and wine license to Jimmy’s Food Mart at 297 Belmont St. (the former Shore Drug). 
  • The Planning Board will meet Monday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to deliberate issuing special permits and potential cases while discuss preparing for a zoning forum. 
  • The Selectmen will hold the second of two Precinct Meeting on the fiscal ’16 budget, the Financial Task Force’s final report and the proposed Proposition 2 1/2 override at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., at 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20. 
  • The School Committee is meeting on Friday, March 20 at 3:30 p.m. No agenda so I can’t tell where or what they will be doing, but I’m guess it has something to do with the precinct meeting. 

• The annual Chenery Middle School Honors Concert, which includes band, chorus and orchestra ensembles, will perform Monday, March 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.

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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2′s and 3′s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• The staff from U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark’s office will be holding office hours in Belmont at the Beech Street Center, on Tuesday, March 17, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

• Join Heather Hurd of Blue Cross Blue Shield for a lecture, Heart Health, on Tuesday, March 17, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center about how aging can cause changes in the heart and blood vessels which may increase a person’s risk of heart disease. The good news is there is much that seniors can do to delay, lower, or possibly avoid or reverse their risk.

• The Belmont Art Association is meeting Tuesday, March 17 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the  Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• Learn all about the advantages and challenges of taking a gap year after graduating from Belmont High as parents and students are invited to attend “A Gap Year Panel” being held in the Belmont High School Library on Tuesday, March 17 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• Peeps dioramas will be assembled in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, March 18 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. 

• The Belmont Historical Society presents former Belmont Selectman Dan Leclerc who will will speak about Belmont and World War I in his talk, “The Yankee Division in the Great War,” on Wednesday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Leclerc, a retired history teacher and former vice-president of the Belmont Historical Society, will speak about heroic roles played by Belmont residents in the division’s action during World War I.  

• The Chenery Middle School PTO will hear a school budget presentation on Thursday, March 19 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School, 95 Washington St. 

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger office will be holding office hours on Friday, March 20 at 10 a.m. in the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. 

• Judie Feins, a long-time member of the Belmont Housing Trust and the Belmont League of Women Voters, will present a slide show on affordable housing in Belmont called “What’s the Plan?,” part of the League of Women Voters’ Brown Bag Lunch series, being held in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library on Friday, March 20 from noon until 1:30 p.m. Hear about the Town’s housing needs and potential strategies for meeting them.  

This Week: Peeps on Parade, Yale Students Dancing, Teens Self Publishing

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On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont School Committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School.
  • The Belmont Historic District Commission will discuss the proposed moratorium on oversized single-family homes and nominations of the Preservation Awards on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
  • Find out what’s happening with Belmont Light’s substation and the transmission project at the meeting of the Belmont Municipal Light Advisory Board on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:15 p.m. at Belmont Light’s headquarters on 40 Prince St.
  • The Belmont Energy Committee will review and discuss the committee’s projects and Belmont Climate Action Plan recommendations at its meeting on Wednesday, March 11 at 8 a.m.
  • The Community Preservation Committee meets on Wednesday, March 11 at 5 p.m. will discuss open space and housing inventory along with project updates.

• Author Jessica Lander will speak on her book Driving Backwards as part of the Belmont Public Library’s Books and Bites series at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 9 at the library’s Assembly Room. This debut work of non-fiction captures the modern-day charm and character of Gilmanton, a small town in New Hampshire where Lander spent her summers. Lander also writes an education-focused blog, Chalk Dust, about experiences in and out of the classroom.  She currently lives in her hometown of Cambridge, near to family and friends.

• The Belmont School District will be making a presentation before the Burbank Elementary PTA at 7 p.m., Monday, March 9 at 266 School St.

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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex.
  • The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2′s and 3′s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

The Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., will be holding three great events on Tuesday, March 10:

  • 11:30 a.m.: Chinese New Year Program. Features performers wowing you with dance, singing, incredible instrumental music, and other arts.
  • 1:15 p.m.: Tell Your Heartwarming Tale of the Blizzards of ’15.
  • 5 p.m.: Yale University Ballroom Dance Team. Marvel at this outstanding group of students as they compete in a variety of International dance competitions; their repertoire encompasses many styles – from tango and salsa to waltz and hustle. Expect to be awed, so bring a friend!

• It’s an early release day for elementary and high school students.

• Belmont’s new Veterans Service Officer, Robert Upton, will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Wednesday, March 11, from noon to 2 p.m.

• Chenery Middle School students can stop by the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room on Wednesday, March 11 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., work on your homework, enjoy some hot chocolate and try out an activity. This is for middleschoolers only!  Provided to you for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• Residents and kids can build Easter-inspired Peeps dioramas on Wednesday, March 11 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the Flett Room. 

• The International Fiction Book Club will hold its inaugural meeting where it will discuss Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie at the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, March 11, at 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Flett Room. Join the club on the second Wednesday of the month for fun conversation, tea and snacks. Each month they’ll talk about one book chosen by the group, either fiction or memoir. If you don’t have time to read the book, come anyway. We’ll talk about favorite recent books people have read. Everybody is welcome. If you have questions, contact Kylie at ksparks@minlib.net.

• Middle and High school students are invited to hear local author Sharisse Zeroonian speak about her play One Plus One is Two, which she self-published when she was a teenager at the Youth Adult Room in the Belmont Public Library on Thursday, March 12 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Learn tips and tools for how you can self-publish as a teenager.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters will be meeting on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Board of Selectmen is holding a precinct meeting to discuss the fiscal ’16 budget options at the Beech Street Center on Thursday, March 12 at 7 p.m. 

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet on Friday, March 13th at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., to discuss The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

• A Powers Music concert – Songs without Words – will take place on Friday, March 13, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. Cellist Laura Blustein and pianist Kathryn Rosenbach will lead the audience through Mendelssohn’s beloved “Songs Without Words” as well as transcriptions of Brahms and Schubert that are used in pieces from popular musicals and pop standards.

 

This Week: Spring Concert at the High School, Child Safety, Coffeehouse and Robots

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On the government side of “This Week”:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen is meeting on Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall to initially convene as the Board of Survey to spend a half hour talking about 863 Concord Ave. then as the board to hear an update from the Logan Community Advisory Committee about noisy airplanes taking off over Belmont.
  • The Zoning Board of Appeals will hear an application for a construction parking plan at the Belmont Uplands and several special permits on Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Art Gallery of the Homer Building located in the Town Hall complex.
  • The Belmont Human Rights Commission is meeting on Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. On the agenda, the commission will hear from Athena Edmonds on public accommodation and transgender individuals in Belmont.

• The Seventh and Eighth Grade Book Group will meet Monday, March 2 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library to discuss this month’s two books: Ripper by Stefan Petrucha and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams. Snacks included!

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 is located at the intersection of Oakley and Old Middlesex. 
• The Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue will be holding two sessions of Story Time for 2’s and 3’s, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 

• State Rep. Dave Rogers will hold office hours at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, March 3, at 9:30 a.m.

• Learn how a geriatric medical evaluation differs from that of a non-senior at a talk on Geriatric Primary Care on Tuesday, March 3, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. Offered by Belmontian and Mount Auburn Hospital staff member Dr. Mab Butterfield.

• There will be a Parent Workshop on Child Safety on Tuesday, March 3, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Powers Music School will be holding a panel discussion on “Affordable Music Education” in the Betsy Washburn Cabot Room at the school, 380 Concord Ave., on Tuesday, March 3, from 6:30 p.m. The free discussion will discuss how the high cost of music programs is keeping kids from a quality arts education. There will be school representatives who will answer questions and discuss financial aid scholarships.

• The monthly meeting of the Belmont Woman’s Club will take place on Wednesday, March 4, from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the Belmont Historical Society’s Claflin Room in the Belmont Public Library. 

• The Belmont High School’s Department of Fine & Performing Arts presents its Spring Chorus and Orchestra Concert on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium. This concert will feature the first of our annual Solo Competition Winners, sophomore Haig Hovsepian, who will be performing the third movement from the Aram Khachaturian Violin Concerto. Also performing will be the Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus and Chamber Singers , the BHS Concert Orchestra and the Combined Choruses and Orchestra performing several movements of Vivaldi’s Gloria in D.

• Sustainable Belmont will be holding a presentation and Q&A on “Gardens & Recycling” on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont of League of Women Voters will hold an education meeting on Thursday, March 5 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The LEGO Club for kindergarteners through second graders is back on Thursday, March 5 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Drop in anytime. All LEGOs will be provided. Just bring your imagination.

• The Working to Help the Homeless Club will be hosting a WTHH Coffeehouse on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m. at the High School’s Cafe. Here is your chance to see Belmont High students showcase their talents. There will also be ice cream and baked goods. Tickets are $5 at the door or at Champions.

• Belmont Police Lt. Kristin Daley and Communications Manager Dan MacAuley (“The Voice of Belmont”) will be giving a presentation on Smart 911 on Friday, March 6, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. Smart 911 is a new system that helps emergency dispatchers make faster decision and shorten response times for getting you the help you need.

• Robots will be invading the Belmont on Friday, March 6, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. as the good people from iRobot will talk about their robots, what they do, and the amazing technology that makes them work in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. This is geared for all students curious about the the future of robots and how they will take over the world and enslave humans. (just kidding).