As the Belmont Chinese American Association (BCAA) marks its 10th anniversary this year, current and former leaders remain dedicated to offering inclusive events “by…
When 9-year-old Frances Moore Lappé opened the front door to her Fort Worth, Texas, home in 1953, FBI agents stood on the porch. Her parents had co-founded the city’s first Unitarian Church — an integrated congregation in a segregated city. “Growing up…
Christmas lights glowed across the wooden floor of First LEGO League Robotics Team Head Coach Sterling Crockett’s living room, where five members of the Cyber Guardians of Huntrix gathered recently for a post-competition ice cream party. The kids leaned toward one another,…
While angels and stars are traditional Christmas tree toppers, for Clover and Pumpkin, only a golden acorn would do. The fluffy-tailed rodent pals scamper their way through “A Squirrely Christmas,” a new children’s picture book by Belmont residents Megan K. Palmer and…
When you ask people for their favorite vacation story, likely the most common answers focus on the commonplace, such as a great meal, a great museum tour, or some other lovely vignette. Ask that same question of Belmont residents Martin Kysel and…
Members of The First Church in Belmont Unitarian Universalist traveled to Romania this summer to celebrate the congregation’s 35-year partnership with its sister church in Transylvania, a relationship that began in the 1990s and has grown into decades of fellowship — meals,…
Minding their own business, several baby garter snakes seemed to writhe nervously as the roof of their home was gently rolled away. Found under a log, mere steps onto a trail at Belmont’s Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, the tiny reptiles…
As the fastest-growing major racial group in Massachusetts, Asian American and Pacific Islanders share their experiences getting involved in local government. When School Committee member Jung Yueh was 10 years old, his father served as a precinct captain in Taiwan. He called…
Local journalist and author Matt Robinson recently announced a deal with Boston Public Market to produce and host a series of in-person, question-and-answer talks with local cookbook authors, which begins Thursday, Sept.11. Robinson kicks off the series by talking with Boston Public…
Decades ago, Richard “Doc” Vallon worked as a shoeshiner. For one nickel, he polished and shined his customers’ leather shoes on Boston Common. Today, the wooden shoeshining kit still sits in Vallon’s Belmont home. Inside the box are the old bristle brushes,…
Neatly piled stacks of books – many of them rare – sit atop several tables inside the Mardigian Library waiting to be sorted, cataloged, and, if need be, conserved. Their pages contain stories of Armenia’s 3,000-year history and culture that might otherwise…