Opinion

Generations: Missing from the Drop-Down Menu

November 6, 2026

By Fatema Zaara Shaikh, Belmont Voice columnist Almost every scholarship application starts the same way. Name. School. Grade Point Average. Then, somewhere near the top of the first page, a drop-down menu asks about citizenship. This fall, I have learned to check…

Opinion

Garden Gems: The Arrival of the Spotted Lanternfly

November 2, 2026

The dreaded spotted lanternfly has landed in Belmont. After arriving in Pennsylvania in 2014 (likely imported as an egg mass on a pallet of landscaping stone), it headed north and has been flitting around Massachusetts since 2021. It is now definitely established…

Opinion

Ask Lisa: Approaching Other Parents About Their Teens

October 26, 2026

If you hear something, should you say something? A parent asked: “I overheard my 10th-grade daughter and her friends discussing the fact that another friend of theirs is partying almost every weekend and is in an unhealthy relationship with a high schooler…

Opinion

Generations: Grappling With the ‘Great and Terrible Machine’

October 26, 2026

This past week, I attended a packed book tour event at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville, where I saw one of my favorite sci-fi authors, Becky Chambers, talk about her new book. One of the last questions she took from the audience…

Opinion

Ask Lisa: Guidance on Teens and Caffeinated Drinks

September 30, 2026

A parent recently asked me for guidance concerning teen overuse of a legal drug—caffeine! “When I was young, yes, we used energy drinks to get through finals. But it seems like today’s teens are leaning into caffeinated drinks daily. My own kids…

Opinion

Garden Gems: Fall Cleanup: Less is More

September 28, 2026

Fall is a wonderful time in the garden, full of color and activity. Leaves are turning, asters and goldenrods are blooming. Small mammals are skittering around, gathering food stores. Birds are fattening up on seeds and berries while bees and butterflies are…

Opinion

Generations: Accepting Life’s Milestone Birthdays

September 21, 2026

I remember the exact moment I first felt old. It was about four years ago, and I was having dinner in my hometown with two high school friends. At the end of the meal, we passed the bill to see how much…

Opinion

Garden Gems: End of Summer Favorites

September 9, 2026

At summer’s end, one of the loveliest spots in my garden is under the redbud tree. Redbuds, Cercis canadensis, are easy keepers, justly appreciated for their spring blooms. Come summer, they are garden stars for the dense shade cast by their pendulous…

Opinion

Generations: Cheering for More Than a World Cup Match

September 4, 2026

In late June, I found myself jammed into a small Belmont restaurant, surrounded by strangers while watching a World Cup soccer match. The air was thick with anticipation, and every available inch of floor space was claimed by fans pressed shoulder-to-shoulder. Every…

Opinion

Generations: Taking a Bracing Vacation

August 10, 2026

I write this month’s column not from Belmont, but from Germany. My wife is German, and part of the “deal” in our relationship is that we spend every “urlaub” (vacation) in Germany visiting with her family. That nearly always includes one week…

Opinion

Garden Gems: To Squish or Not to Squish

August 5, 2026

Gardens are home to more than plants. Birds and small mammals are often poking around, seeking sustenance. Invertebrates make their living in the garden too, and encountering them gives many gardeners pause. We may recoil, or we may want to observe. And…

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