This Week: Lots to Do Throughout the Next Five Days in Belmont

On the government side of This Week:

  • The Belmont Board of Selectmen is meeting Monday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall to speak to State Rep. Dave Rogers and to hear a request for a beer and wine license at Jimmy’s Food Mart (the former Shore Drug site) near the corner of School and Belmont streets.
  • The Zoning Board of Appeals is in session on Monday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Gallery of Art, third floor of the Homer Building, Town Hall complex, where it will take up a special permit for a family day-care center on Ridge Road and permission to allow construction parking on the Belmont Uplands.
  • The Belmont School Committee is meeting Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School where they will discuss the specific classes and positions where 22 full-time staff and teachers will be cut to meet a possible $1.7 million deficit under the current fiscal ’16 available revenue budget.
  • The Planning Board is holding a public meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall on several potential zoning by-law changes including a moratorium on “McMansions” in the Shaw Estates neighborhood near the Grove Street Playground and to allow single-family homes on lots of less than 5,000 sq.-ft. lots in general residence (GR) districts. If the Board can not finish the meeting on Wednesday, it will continue on Thursday, Feb. 26.
  • The Capital Budget Committee will discuss its fiscal 2016 list of goodies on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.

• The Belmont Farmers Market planning meeting will be taking place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23

• The Beech Street Center presents Richard J. Castino will present a video and speak on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. about how a home can be modified to allow elders and those with physical challenges to remain independent and safe. Castino is a licensed construction supervisor in Watertown, who is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, a designation from the National Association of Homebuilders.

• The Belmont Art Association will be holding its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room.

• The fifth-seed Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball team (14-6) will host Danvers in the first-round of the MIAA Div. 2 North sectional championships on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Wenner Field House.

• The Belmont Historical Society presents McLean Hospital archivist Terry Alan Bragg for a talk on “The History of McLean Hospital” in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. 

• The Belmont High School Boys’ Hoopsters will take on Winchester (for the third time this season) at the Wenner Field House on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the first round of the first-round of the MIAA Div. 2 North sectional championships

• The Belmont Stormwater Working Group is meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Flett Room. 

Belmont Police Lt. Kristin Daley will shares information about protecting yourself from financial predators at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. 

• The Belmont Public Library is holding its monthly OTAKUrabu program. 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. 27 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Provided to you for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

The 4th-ranked Watertown/Belmont high schools combined Girls’ Ice Hockey team (18-3-1) will host the winner of the Andover/Billerica preliminary round match on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Ryan Rink in Watertown. What time? They aren’t saying just yet.

This Week: Maple Sugar and Concert Tuesday, Book Reading Thursday

• On the government end of the things, the Board of Selectmen will meet today with the Belmont School Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. to discuss next year’s school district budget. The selectmen will also discuss the recommendation of the Financial Task Force to schedule a Prop. 2 1/2 override. 

• The Belmont Public Library is holding a maple sugaring program for kids on Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Assembly Room.

• Staff from US Rep. Katherine Clark‘s office will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Pianist Kathryn Rosenbach will present a free concert titled “Exploring the Fantasie” at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.  A native Belmontian who teaches at the Powers Music School, Rosenbach will present a program of Bach, Chopin and Schumer.

Belmont author Len Abram will read from his new book, The Medallion, Thursday, Feb. 19, from 7:30 p.m,. to 9 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Sasha Denisov, a Ukrainian immigrant and Chechen war veteran, drives a Boston cab, dreaming of buying his own taxi medallion and remarrying Ani, a Russian immigrant, whom he first married to get a green card and then fell in love with. This free program is part of the Library Friends Author Series. All are welcome to attend.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.
State Sen. Will Brownsberger‘s staff will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on on Friday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m. 
• The Beech Street Center’s Movie Of the Month for February is “Waking Ned Devine,” on Friday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. The comedy is about Ned Devine, aresident of a tiny Irish town, who wins the lottery … but who his neighbors discover have died clutching the winning ticket. This puts the townspeople in a spot, since, if lottery officials discover Ned dead, the money is forfeited. When the community comes together in hopes of splitting the winnings 51 ways, they learn the importance of friendship and the value of money.

This (Short) Week: Visit the Savannah and Journey 100 Feet in a Movie

• On the government side of the week: The Belmont School Committee meets on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School to discuss among other things, budgets; present and future. The Belmont Water Advisory Board will talk about this year’s and next fiscal years capital projects on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at 35 Woodland St.

• Remember that street side trash and recycling has been delayed one day due to the MLK Holiday.

• Tuesdays are 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. Over at 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. 

• U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark’s staff will be holding office hours on Tuesday, Jan. 20, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center. 

• Join Earthwatch volunteer Mark Hopkins for a photographic visit to the savannahs of South Africa, and his hikes through scenic Thornveld landscapes accompanied by an armed Zulu ranger, counting wild rhino, giraffe, buffalo, elephant and a dozen other large mammal species. The journey takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

• The Belmont Garden Club will hear from Suzanne Mahler on “Architectural Plants for the Summer Garden on Wednesday, Jan. 21 in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Light refreshments will be served at 10 a.m. with the program beginning at 10:45 a.m. 

• The Belmont Book Discussion Group will discuss Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson on Wednesday, Jan. 21 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 library Reference staff at 617-993-2870.

• The Beech Street Center will be screening the film, The Hundred-Foot Journey, on Friday, Jan. 23, at 1 p.m. The Golden Globe award-winning comedy stars Helen Mirren, and produced by Stephen Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. An Indian family opens a restaurant directly opposite Mirren’s Michelin-starred establishment in France. Culinary and cultural “wars” ensue.

• The Belmont Public Library’s OTAKUrabu program, which is meeting on Friday, Jan. 23 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the library’s Assembly Room, lets teens from 7th to 12th grade meet up to watch anime, talk manga and games, do a craft/activity, and plan for future events. Japanese snacks provided free while they last. Just drop in, no registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

The Belmont Art Association and unCommon Finds, 432 Common St., is holding an artists reception on Friday, Jan. 23  from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in conjunction with The Spirited Gourmet, 448 Common St., wine tasting (from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.) for BAA artists, Dennis Kavanagh and Namoi Ellenberg-Dukas. A coupon for dessert (with two entrees purchased) at Savino’s Grill will be available at reception.

This Week: Lots of Authors and Speakers and a Trip to See the Harvard Rothkos

• A quiet week on the government side: the Belmont Conservation Commission will discuss an application for keeping bees at Rock Meadow while there will be an update of the construction of the Underwood Pool by Town Administrator David Kale at the Recreation Commission. Both meetings are at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Town Hall. There will be an update on the off-leash program (that’s for dogs) at the Board of Health meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at Town Hall. The Community Preservation Committee will be review the final application for grants at its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 5 p.m. at Town Hall.

• Author Richard Primack will speak on his book Walden Warming:  Climate Change Comes to Thoreau’s Woods, as part of the Belmont Public Library’s Books and Bites program on Monday, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. A Boston University professor and Newton native,  Primack searched for evidence of climate change at Concord’s Walden Pond, made famous by Henry David Thoreau. Primack tells the deeply instructive story of the challenges he and his dedicated graduate students faced during the past decade as they identified the many plants that have disappeared since Thoreau’s time and those which are flowering earlier in successive years as spring temperatures rise. All are welcome to attend this free program.  Refreshments will be provided.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.

• Tuesday, Jan. 13 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. Over at 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. 

• Photographer Carole Smith Berney will present a multimedia show with images and music at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 1:15 p.m. as she shares the surprising variety of the local natural world, including colorful flowers, autumnal fruits, and even winter wonders. Berney’s photography exhibit, “Seasonal Colors,” is currently featured at the Center. 

• The Friends of the Belmont Public Library welcomes author Adam Tanner who will speak on his book, What Stays in Vegas: The World of Personal Data – Lifeblood of Big Business – and the End of Privacy As We Know It, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the Belmont Public Library. Tanner takes readers beyond the headlines of national government snooping to unveil how private businesses are gathering personal data on multitudes of individuals every day. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

• Dr. Jolene Ross of the Foundation for Wellness Professionals will speak on “Natural Solution to Executive Function Struggles and ADHD,” on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at  7 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library. All are welcome to attend this free program.

• The Council on Aging will be visiting the newly-opened Harvard University Art Museum on Thursday, Jan. 15 with the bus leaving Belmont at 9:30 A.M. and returning at 1:30 p.m. The cost is $17; $13 for admissions plus $4 for the bus transportation. Harvard spent six years renovating their Quincy Street space, incorporating three of its existing museums. The result is exquisite. Current exhibits include the famous Mark Rothko (restored) Harvard murals and bronzes from the Mediterranean and ancient Near East.

• The Book Discussion Group for Lower Middle School students in 5th and 6th grades will take place on Thursday, Jan. 15 from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Stormwater Working Group meeting will take place on Thursday, Jan. 15, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. 

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger will be holding office hours at the Beech Street Center at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 16.

• Well-loved local musician Liz Buchanan performs original songs and traditional favorites at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. 

This Week: A Bit of Everything Happening in Belmont in the New Year

Welcome back from the holidays and winter recess.

• On the government side of the week, the Zoning Board of Appeals will approve the specifications for the pump and force main required in the comprehensive permit for the proposed housing development at Belmont Uplands on Monday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Belmont Gallery of Arts located on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex. On the same day and at the same time, the Belmont Board of Selectmen will be at Town Hall to have a really short meeting with the Belmont Police presenting its new “Smart 911” program. On Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m., the Planning Board is meeting at Town Hall where it will discuss potential zoning by-law amendments while the School Committee (at the Chenery Middle School) will present a preliminary budget along with program changes at the High School. The Municipal Light Advisory Board will discuss the substation project and carbon reduction at the Light Department Headquarters at 40 Prince St. at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8.

• 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. 5. There will be two sessions: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• The 7th-8th Grade Book Club will discuss “Jackaby” by William Ritter, on Monday, Jan. 57 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Young Adult Room of the Belmont Public Library. Enjoy some snacks and choose February’s book.

Tuesday, Jan. 6 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. Over at 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 be holding office hours in Belmont at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 p.m. 

• Head over to the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1:15 p.m. for a sing-along with Arnie Rosen. A Belmont resident, Rosen has become one of the favorite musical performers at the Center. A multi-instrumentalist, he has played guitar for more than 50 years and has a nice repertoire of songs.

 Yoga for everyone at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Jan 6, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.: join Susan Harris, a registered yoga teacher and associate professor of Nutrition at Tufts University for this Iyengar-inspired class which practices yoga postures slowly and with attention to alignment and safety, adapted to the abilities and needs of individual students. Practice is done with bare feet; mats and props are provided. Cost: $15/class. This is a non-Council on Aging class held at the Beech Street Center. For more information, call Susan at 617-407-0816.

• There will be a sing-along with Julie Goetze in the Children’s Room of the Belmont Public Library on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

• The Belmont Public School invites Chenery Middle School students on early release Wednesday to come over to the library’s Assembly Room today, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., to do your homework while enjoying some hot chocolate. This is for middleschoolers only so high schoolers are on their own. This event is provided for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont Public Library 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. on Thursday, Jan. 8.

• The Book Discussion Group for 3rd and 4th grades will take place on Thursday, Jan. 83:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Belmont League of Women Voters meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The Senior Book Discussion Group at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. will discuss “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen on Friday, Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. 

Belmont’s Powers Music School will be giving a concert for the community at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 9, at 1:15 p.m. Dubbed “Characters and Conversations,” the concert will feature faculty members Ben Fox (oboe), Meghan Jacoby (flute), and guest Ellie Parrone (piano). The concert is supported in part by East Boston Savings Bank. All residents are welcome to attend.

This Week: Funny Magic Show, an Old-Fashioned Mixer Tuesday With Sensibility Friday

• The Belmont Board of Selectmen will be meeting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Town Hall for some executive sessions and end-of-the-year approvals.

• The Benton Library, Belmont’s independent- and volunteer-run library, will hold Story Time at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30. 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.

Ed Popielarczyk’s Comedy Magic Show, a wonderful program of kids, will be held on esday, Dec. 30 from 2 p.m to 2:30 p.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room

• An old-fashioned mixer is being held at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Start the New Year by meeting someone new. So show off your party clothes and enjoy good company, tasty desserts and a complementary 30-minute dance lesson with teacher Paul Hughes at 6 p.m.

The Academy Award-winning film, Sense and Sensibility, will be screened at the Beech Street Center on Friday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. This 1995 adaptation of the Jane Austen novel – which will be discussed at our book group on Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. – follows the Dashwood sisters, members of a wealthy English family, whose circumstances result in their sudden destitution, forcing them to seek financial security through marriage. The version stars Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman. 

Screen Shot 2014-12-29 at 11.52.45 AM

This Week: Piano Recital Tuesday, Beech Holiday Concert, Zoning on Ambulances

• Only one government meeting this Christmas week: Monday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m., the Zoning Board of Appeals will discuss a special permit to allow the Armstrong Ambulance Service to run ambulances from a satellite office at 1010 Pleasant St. The meeting will take place at the Belmont Gallery of Art on the third floor of the Homer Building in the Town Hall complex. 

Belmont High School junior Rahul Ramakrishnan will give a piano recital at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 4 p.m. The works to be performed include:

  • “Invention 3 in D Major” by Bach
  • “Sicilienne” by Maria-Theresa Von Paradis
  • “Three Waltzes, Op.171, No. 2” by Schubert
  • “Prelude, Op.43, No.1” by Reinhold M. Gliere
  • “Minute Waltz, Op.64, No.1” by Chopin

Ramakrishnan – who is a member of the school’s WGBH’s High School Quiz Show team and a tennis player – will be followed by his sister, Anjali, who will play several pieces to round out the program. The concert is free of charge.

• The Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. will be holding a Holiday Concert with David Polansky on Tuesday, Dec. 23, at 1:15 p.m. One of the most popular musicians to entertain at the Center, Polansky will present seasonal and holiday music, including three original Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza tunes. David sings and plays keyboard and trumpet. Come and enjoy; it’s free.

Trash and recycling collection will take place on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24. For those homes on a Thursday pickup, you’ll only need to wait one day as curbside collection will take place on Boxing Day, Friday, Dec. 26.

 

This Week: BHS Winter Concert Wednesday, Hanukah Menorah and Holiday Sing Tuesday

• On the government side of the week, the Belmont Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. to hear about the future of the former Macy’s site and make the appointments to the Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee; the Planning Board will review and vote on the proposed Cushing Village design modifications and future housing production for Belmont Housing at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. and the School Committee also meets on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. (starting a half-hour earlier than its usual time).

Pre-School Story Time will be held at the Benton Library, Belmont’s independent and volunteer run library, at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 15. 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.

• Staff from the office of U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark will be meeting with residents at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St., on Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. They bring coffee!

Beth El Temple Center will be lighting the outdoor Hanukah menorah at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16 on the first night of the “Festival of Lights.” Afterwards, there will be the annual Latke Party with singing and eating. $10 per person or $20 per family at the door. A portion of the proceeds donated for Tikkun Olam.

• Evening Yoga at the Beech Street Center is held every Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at 266 Beech St. Non-seniors, seniors, beginners and experienced are welcome.  You don’t need to be flexible. Practice is done with bare feet; mats and props are provided. Cost is $15 a class. For more information, call Susan at 617-407-0816.

• A Holiday Town Sing with faculty from Powers Music School is being hosted by the Belmont Public Library in the Assembly Room on Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Making music together will surely warm your heart on a cold New England winter’s night. Bring your friends, bring your family, and bring lots of holiday cheer for a song-filled evening that will brighten your holiday season. Everyone is welcome. Sponsored by the Friends of the Belmont Public Library.

• The annual Belmont High School Winter Concert takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The Winter Concert will showcase more than 400 student musicians performing in bands, orchestras and choruses. Here is the program with a list of all the performers.

The Book Discussion Group for Chenery Middle School students from the lower school in 5tha and 6th grades will take place Thursday, Dec. 18 from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Flett Room.

Hot Topics, the current events group at the Beech Street Center, will be holding its next meeting at the center on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m.

• Well-loved local musician Liz Buchanan performs original songs and traditional favorites (with Christmas only six days away expect a few songs about the coming holiday) on Friday, Dec. 1910:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Assembly Room of Belmont Public Library.
State Sen. Will Brownsberger will be holding office hours on Friday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
• The Belmont High School’s Performing Arts Company is holding a Holiday Coffeehouse on Friday, Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Performers will include Belmont High School students showcasing their talents in bands, solos, a capella, duets and more. There will be food for sale, including pizza and other ‘dinner’ foods; home made holiday treats of ALL varieties, cold drinks, coffee, hot chocolate and ice cream sundaes. All  proceeds will fund the PAC’s January trip to New York City, where 46 students will attend two Broadway shows and take part in a workshop with Broadway actors.

This Week: Bandarama Monday, Panel on Loss, Grief and Hope Thursday,

• Author Marjan Kamali will speak on her debut novel “Together Tea,” Monday, Dec. 8, from 11 a.m. to noon in the Assembly Room of Belmont Public Library. Selected by the Massachusetts Center for the Book as a “Must-Read Book 2014,” Kamali show us the complex life of Mina Rezayi, an Iranian immigrant, as she, her mother, Darya, and their family attempt to balance Iranian traditions with American culture. This book is a story of the tug-of-war between old and new, the universal quest for love and the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter. All are welcome to attend this free program.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.  Refreshments will be provided.

• It’s loud, festive and fun. Come hear the music of the Belmont Public Schools’ bands, representing musicians from elementary middle and high schools, at the 43nd annual Belmont Public Schools Bandarama! taking place Monday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at Belmont High School. The Wenner Field House will be filled from end to end with bands, highlighted by a combined band performance of “Jingle Bells.”

• Join Heather Hurd of Blue Cross Blue Shield for a talk onHeart Health” on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 1:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St. The talk is free but you should sign up.

• The Belmont Municipal Light Advisory Board will discuss and possibly vote on a solar distributed generation proposal at its meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

• The Belmont Health Collaborative presents a panel discussion: “Grief, Loss, Recovery, and Hope, a candid conversation concerning the universal experience of living with loss,” on Thursday, Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Belmont Media Center, 9 Lexington St. The panel will be moderated by Rev. Joe Zarro of Plymouth Congregational Church.

Belmont Light is inviting residents to a “Celebrate the Winter Solstice” event at its headquarters at 40 Prince St. on Thursday, Dec. 11 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. They are asking residents to donate either new or gently used blankets, bedspreads, comforters or quilts for those in need.

• The Chenery Middle School Honors Concert takes place in the Chenery Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11. 

• The Book Discussion Group for 3rd and 4th grades will take place on Thursday, Dec. 11 from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library.

• The monthly meeting of Belmont Against Racism will take place in the Flett Room of the Belmont Public Library on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

• The 5th Grade Chorus Concert takes place at the Chenery Middle School auditorium at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12.

• The Belmont Gallery of Art will hold an opening reception for its Small Works Holiday Show and Sale on Friday, Dec. 12 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the gallery on the third floor of the Homer Municipal Building on Moore Street in the Town Hall complex. This is a not-to-be-missed chance to purchase affordable works of art by local artists including paintings, ceramics, photographs, sculptures, jewelry and cards. The show runs until Dec. 21.

• The Senior Book Discussion Group will meet on Friday, Dec. 12 at 11 a.m. at the Beech Street Center, continuing to discuss “Bleak House” by Charles Dickens (Chapter 32 through the end of the book). 

• The Beech Street Center’s Movie of the Month for December is 1989’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” with Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman on Friday, Dec. 12, 1 p.m. No cost.

• The Belmont Public Library continues its OTAKUrabu program. 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, Dec. 12 from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Assembly Room. Provided to you for free, thanks to the Friends of the Belmont Public Library. Just drop in, no registration required.

 

This Week: Spooky Things at the High School; Is That a Spelling Bee?

“The Journey to College” featuring Belmont Savings President and CEO Bob Mahoney will be held on Monday, Oct. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Chenery Middle School. Joining Mahoney will be Dr. Laurie Nash, an Independent Educational Consultant, to discuss the college admissions process, including choosing a school and how to increase a child’s chances of getting accepted. The talk is part of a series of lectures between the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation and the Belmont After School Enrichment Collaborative (BASEC) that will offer parents information on topics such as college, conflicts and anxiety.

Geoffrey Brahmer, an accomplished researcher and popular lecturer, will present “The Diary of Herman Kruk: A Librarian in the Vilna Ghetto” at the Beech Street Center on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 1:15 p.m. In 1944, while detained in Vilna in now Lithuania, Kruk, a socialist librarian , was asked by fellow prisoners, “Why write a diary? We are all going to be killed anyway.” Kruk responded, “Drunk on the pen trembling in my hand, I record everything for future generations.”

Belmont resident Gerry Connolly – a graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Professional Chef Program – will be conjuring up some great easy-to-make “tailgate” delicacies such as Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Vegetable Chili, Hummus, Tabouli and Mock Boursin on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s Assembly Room. Connolly’s events are always well attended and space is limited, so please sign up online or by phone by calling 617-993-2870.

Justin Martin will speak on his book Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians at the Friends of the Belmont Public Library’s Author Series on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s Assembly Room. Martin shows how this first bohemian culture – imported from Paris to a dingy Broadway saloon – nurtured an American tradition of rebel art that thrives to this day. All are welcome to attend this free program. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Teens in 7th to 12th grade can start their Halloween early by attending Fright Feston Thursday, Oct. 30 from 
1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Come enjoy games, snacks and festivities.

Two big events at Belmont High School this Thursday, Oct. 30 to get the family into a Halloween state of mind.

The fourth annual “Masquerade Concert” with the Belmont High Wind Ensemble and Concert Orchestra will begin at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. The two ensembles will perform a family-friendly variety of seasonal selections, including creepy classics like the Tocatta and Fugue in D minor by Bach, selections from The Dark Knight Rises and FROZEN! Audience members should arrive in costume to maximize the fun. As always, the concert is free.

There will be a Halloween Haunted House at Belmont High School from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. All profits made from this event will go to the Make a Wish Foundation. There will be a range of spooky activities for people of all ages. For younger guests there will a face painting station and a pumpkin painting station.

Get the little ones ready for the Halloween festivities with a Musical Spooktacular with Philip Alexander on Friday, Oct. 31 at 10:30 a.m. in the Belmont Public Library’s Assembly Room. Philip promises not to be too scary.

The Cushing Square Business Association will be holding its annual Cushing Square Halloween on Friday, Oct. 31 with the trick or treating begins at 3 p.m.

After filling up on sugar and chocolate the previous night, more than 500 Belmont students from kindergarten to 6th grade will participate in the 14th annual Foundation for Belmont Education Youth Spelling Bee on Saturday, Nov. 1. beginning at 3 p.m. The six-hour long event, which takes place in the Belmont High School auditorium, will see the students – many in team costumes – show off their spelling skills with words such as “frog” for the kindergarteners to “escargot” which won the bee in 2012.

The Beech Street Center is holding its annual Diwali Festival on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Center, 266 Beech St. Sponsored by the Belmont Council on Aging and Friends of the Indian Senior Citizens’ Organization, enjoy a fun-filled evening of cultural programming and three course vegetarian dinner.

Cost in advance: $7 per person, non FISCO members: $10, Children ages 6-12 $5 each. Cost at the door: FISCO members  and immediate family, $14 per person. Nonmembers $20 per person, Children ages 6-12, $10 each

To purchase tickets in advance call Nava at 617-993-2975.