By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

The Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, will award a college scholarship to one student from every community that is home to a Simon mall property, including the Watertown area.

Any high school student who will be graduating in the class of 2013 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property is eligible. The program will award a one-time scholarship of up to $1,400 to students who plan to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

The application period is open now through Friday, Jan. 11.

Students can pick up a copy of a scholarship application at the Arsenal Mall's management office. Applications also can be downloaded at the Simon Youth Foundation website.

The program has been awarding money for 12 consecutive years. In 2012, the Simon Youth Scholarships program awarded $1.2 million to 378 students nationwide.

“Our mission is to ignite hope for a brighter future in students, and our Foundation is proud to partner with Arsenal Mall to award scholarships that will remove some of the financial obstacles that would otherwise prevent a student from achieving the dream of a college education,” said J. Michael Durnil, the president and CEO of the foundation.

The 2013 scholarship recipients will be selected by Scholarship Management Services, a third-party administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills and participation in school and community activities. Those students who are the first in their family to pursue a post secondary education will also be given close consideration.

The completed application, along with official school transcripts and parents’ most recently filed tax form, must be sent to Scholarship Management Services by March 1.

Simon Youth Foundation was established in 1998 and supports 23 Simon Youth Academies in 13 US states that give at-risk students the same education they would receive in a traditional classroom, while also offering the flexibility that their individual circumstances require.

The Education Commission of the United States has recognized the foundation with its Corporate Award for sustained and substantial investment in improving public education.

For more information, visit the foundation's website.

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Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

The Belmont High School Class of ’92 raised $1,000 at its 20th Reunion to help rebuild Joey’s Park – a playground built 24 years ago in honor of their classmate Joey O’Donnell, who died from cystic fibrosis when he was just 12 years old.

The park has deteriorated over the years, and plans are underway to take down the aging structure and build a new one in a community barn-raising tentatively scheduled for this October.

“It was a spontaneous idea several of us came up with,” said Andrew Plunkett in a press release from the Friends of Joey’s Park. Plunkett was close with Joey. “We knew the Friends of Joey’s Park were raising money for a replacement playground and we figured this would be a great way to help and honor Joey.”

The reunion was held last November, according to the release, and some of the attendees had come up with the idea to build the original park after Joey’s death.

“We are thrilled that so many of Joey’s classmates are supporting our efforts to preserve this community treasure,” said Friends of Joey’s Park Co-Chair Diane Miller in the release. “Our goal is to make sure that Joey’s legacy continues to delight local children for generations to come.”

The original playground was built by hundreds of townspeople – including Mitt Romney, who has lived in Belmont for years – in a big barn-raising in 1989, three years after Joey’s death.

Joey was a popular little boy, and his death hit Belmont hard. Hundreds of people turned out for his funeral, and after his death, the town held walks and fundraisers to finance the first playground.

“Many of us were there for the first community build and some of us now have children who play at Joey’s Park,” said Plunkett in the release. “Our class has a special attachment to the park and it’s great to know that Joey’s legacy is going to live on.”

Donations can be made here.

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com

 

The following was submitted by Visiting Nurse and Community Health, Inc.:

Harry Allen of Arlmont Fuel (pictured left) was the MC for Visiting Nurse and Community Health’s (VNCH) 7th annual “Pot of Gold” event at the Sons of Italy Hall in Arlington. Pot of Gold attendees enjoyed a tasty buffet dinner from Blue Ribbon BBQ, and the top silent auction bidders walked away with great items. As the night progressed and numbers were eliminated, hope was kept alive as fantastic “loser prizes” were periodically distributed. The final and “Luckiest Loser” of the night received a night stay at the Westin Hotel! This year, the top 10 finalists unanimously decided to split the “Pot of Gold”, which made for 10 very excited $1,000 winners! Pot of Gold Committee members were, Harry Allen, Bob Bowes, Bowes Real Estate; Harry Allen; Kathleen Darcy, Cambridge Savings Bank; Tim Haley, Prakash Ellenhorn, LLC; Meredith Lambroff of VNCH; (pictured above at right); Lisa Lorgeree, Brookline Bank and Starry Poe, Brookline Bank. VNCH serves the following communities: Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Carlisle, Chelsea, Concord, Everett, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Revere, Somerville, Stoneham, Tyngsboro, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Westford, Weston, Wilmington, Winchester, Winthrop and Woburn.

 

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

Macy’s in Belmont will be closing this spring as the retailer shutters six stores across the country this year, the company announced Thursday.

The Belmont Macy’s, which opened in 1941 as a Filene's and became a Macy's in 2006, employs 101 workers, according to a release from the company. Those employees may be offered positions at nearby stores, or laid off and given severance benefits.

Final clearance sales will start on Monday, Jan. 7 and run for between seven and 11 weeks, according to a statement from the company.

The landlord for the site, Locatelli Properties, released a statement on Thursday saying that it is disappointed to see Macy's go.

"We valued Macy's as a tenant," said Kevin Foley, manager of Locatelli Properties, in the statement. "We made every effort to continue the relationship and to extend Macy's tenure here in Belmont, but this decision was beyond our control."

Foley said that Locatelli has already begun looking for a new tenant to replace the retailer. Ideally, according to the statement, the company would prefer a single tenant to move into the space.

"We would like to see a vibrant Center supported by a strong anchor tenant," said Foley. To get that tenant, he said, the town will need to continue to improve parking. The town is working on new parking plans for the downtown.

Macy's will likely vacate the Belmont store by the end of March, according to Locatelli.

Macy's described the closings as “normal-course adjustments,” and announced the opening of one new Bloomingdale’s Outlet store in Illinois.

“We remain committed to operating a successful and growing stores business as part of our company’s Omnichannel strategy for serving customers wherever, whenever and however they prefer to shop,” said Karen M. Hoguet, chief financial officer of Macy’s, Inc., in the release “This leads us to open new stores where we see the opportunity to fill gaps in important markets, as well as to make the tough decision to selectively close underperforming stores that no longer meet our performance requirements or where leases are not being renewed.”

The other locations being closed this spring are a Bloomingdale’s in Las Vegas, and Macy’s in California, Hawaii, Minnesota and Texas.

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

Belmont residents looking to run for town office in the April 2 town-wide election should have their nomination papers in to the Town Clerk’s office by Feb. 12 to have signatures certified.

Anyone who wishes to take out nomination papers should go to the Town Clerk’s office with identification to fill out a nomination form. Nomination papers require signatures from registered Belmont voters. Town-wide offices require at least 50 signatures, according to the clerk, and Town Meeting members require at least 25. The clerk advises residents to collect extra signatures to allow for drop-offs, such as non-voters, voters of another precinct, or illegible signatures.

There is one open seat on the Board of Selectmen, one open seat on the Board of Health, and two open seats on the School Committee, among others. There will be a minimum of 12 open seats in Town Meeting, and that number is likely to rise as current members decide whether to run again, according to the town clerk.

Information about precinct maps, campaign finance, names of voters and election day activities and prohibitions can be found here.

Anyone with questions should call the Town Clerk at 617-993-2600 or email townclerk@belmont-ma.gov.

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com

By Craig Forde, Globe Correspondent

Malden Catholic’s newly refurbished Gerard Doherty Gym will see plenty of action this weekend when the school hosts the inaugural IAABO 27 Referees vs. Cancer Holiday Basketball Tournament.

The two-day event features eight teams with a combined 20-9 record competing in two separate divisions, with each crowning a champion on Sunday.

Saturday
Small School Division
Game 1, Noon - Winchester (2-2) vs. Whittier Tech (3-1)
Game 2, 1:30 p.m. - Arlington Catholic (3-0) vs. St. Clement (4-0)

Large School Division
Game 3, 3 p.m. - Brookline (2-2) vs. Belmont (0-3)
Game 4, 4:30 p.m.- Malden Catholic (3-1) vs. Salem (3-0)

Sunday
Consolation games
Game 5, noon- Small School Division
Game 6, 1:30 p.m. - Large School Division

Championship games
Game 7, 3 p.m.- Small School Division
Game 8, 4:30 p.m.- Large School Division

All proceeds will benefit the IAABO 27 Referees for Cancer initiative, which has raised nearly $13,000 for cancer research in 2012.

Malden Catholic is located at 99 Crystal Street in Malden.

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

Belmont Public Schools are forming a school security advisory group to review the district’s safety procedures in the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut last week, according to Interim Superintendent Thomas S. Kingston.

“I think that most school districts are reviewing their security procedures, and it seemed most reasonable here that I involve the public safety officers, and teachers, and administrators,” said Kingston. “Simply to hear what their concerns might be about safety and security, and also to forge any kind of short-term or long-term recommendations they have, since we are in the process of putting together next year’s budget.”

On Friday morning, a 20-year-old Connecticut man shot his mother in her home and then drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where he shot and killed 20 first-graders and six teachers before turning the gun on himself.

The advisory group, Kingston said, will consist of representatives from the Belmont Fire and Police Departments, as well as educators and administrators from all of Belmont’s schools.

Kingston declined to speak in detail about the security protocols that Belmont schools currently follow.

“We don’t discuss specifics of safety procedures,” he said, “simply for the reason that to do that could give information into the hands of someone who wished to do us harm.”

The tight-lipped policy, he said, has been met with anger from some parents, but he said that keeping details quiet is a crucial part of keeping his schools safe.

“To make public the security measures does compromise the security of the building,” he said.

A recent report released by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges found problems with Belmont High School’s security. Doors are often unlocked, the report found, and office employees cannot see people entering the school.

“Yes, that’s a concern,” said Kingston, when asked whether the district had looked specifically at the issues raised in the report.

He declined to explain what the district was doing to address those concerns, and the principal of the high school directed questions to Kingston.

Kingston said that the high school doors are not locked.

“We have an open campus. Lexington has an open campus. A lot of schools have an open campus,” he said. “We are looking at ways of increasing the security of a building in spite of it being an open campus.”

Elementary schools in Belmont, he said, are kept locked, and are monitored by video cameras. The middle school is being outfitted with video cameras and will soon be kept locked.

Kingston said the district has an emergency response plan that is in the hands of all school administrators, which covers everything from fires to suspicious packages to physical emergencies to delayed openings of schools.

This fall, the high school practiced a lockdown, or shelter-in-place drill, with the Belmont Police, he said, and the schools regularly have fire drills supervised by the Fire Department.

District officials met with police on Monday morning, he said, to discuss safety and security.

Assistant Police Chief James MacIsaac declined to comment specifically on any security protocols in the schools, saying that was being handled by Kingston, but said that Belmont police consider the schools safe.

“We’re confident that we have the resources and the training to respond,” he said. “You can’t stop everything, you can’t prevent everything, but we’re confident that we have the training and resources to bring into a situation.”

Kingston declined to say specifically what the advisory group will be considering in terms of new safety procedures. The first meeting, he said, will likely be held in January. It will not be open to the public.

In a statement posted to the Belmont Public Schools website, Kingston wrote that although he will not share specifics, “I do want to assure the public that we have heightened our vigilance, conferred with public safety officials, continually review our drills and procedures, and are doing all we can within our power to make sure our schools are as safe as possible.”

Though some residents were upset over the lack of details about security, others said they felt perfectly safe sending their children to school in Belmont.

“This made us all feel very sad, and it made us reflect on what’s important, and making sure we’re doing everything that we can do to keep our children safe and to work together to do that,” said Winn Brook Elementary School Parent Teacher Association Co-President Ellen Schreiber. “I’ve been pleased and impressed with the administration and the sensitivity that they’ve taken in dealing with the issue. At this stage, it’s still raw and still close to your heart, and you’re thinking about it all day.”

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com

By Evan Allen, Town Correspondent

The property tax rate in Belmont dropped by two cents on Monday, but that won’t translate into a drop in the tax bill for the owner of an average priced single-family home, because single-family home values in town have risen, according to Assessing Administrator Maryanne Knorr.

The property tax rate was reduced from $13.35 to $13.33 per $1,000 of assessed value, but during the same time period, said Knorr, the value of a single-family home in Belmont rose by 4%. The result is an increase of $400 in the tax bill for an average priced single family home, from $9,959 to $10,359.

An average single family home in Belmont, said Knorr, rose in value from $746,000 to $777,100. The rise in property value was not universal in town, she said – most homes’ values stayed steady, and multifamily homes declined in value.

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com

The annual winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - falls on Dec. 21 but was celebrated Dec. 15 in Cambridge by the Friends of Alewife Reservation. Medford photographer George McLean was there to chronicle the event:



"We started with an introduction and in a circle where everyone identified themselves one  at a time. Then salutations to the winter spirits and the guardians of the silver maples that have been there for so long.

"I knew some of the 185 alewife hawks folks, but there were a lot of people I had never seen. A great ceremony guided by Maya Apfelbaum and Ellen Mass as a young boy played a flute and people danced and chanted.

"Suddenly someone said 'look!' Everyone looked up and silhouetted against the sun, sitting in a tree overhead watching the ceremony was a large Red tail hawk. I ran to the side  and started taking photos. I got one as he flew off.

"I think this one of the young I have followed the past two or three years in the area.

I thought if this was not a sign from nature, nothing is, as i got a chill down my spine."


 

By Brock Parker, Jarret Bencks, Evan Allen, and Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondents

Schools in and around Boston prepared to step up security, reassure parents and students and offer counseling and support as students return to class Monday for the first time since the shootings in Connecticut.

Officials in Medford, Natick and the city of Boston said they would step up security immediately, and several schools said they would review their procedures.

Natick school officials assured parents that a security plan is already in place, but they also said they would lock all front doors.

"Know that we have in place strong security systems in all eight of our schools. Our administration is well versed in handling lock down and crisis situations,'' Natick schools superintedent Peter Sanchioni said in an email Friday. "Starting Monday, the front door of all of our schools will be locked and staffed.''

In Medford, Roy E Belson, the Superintendent of Schools, notifed parents that additional police and school security personnel would be on hand Monday. He said Medford would also "begin an upgrade of all our security cameras and electronic entry systems.''

"While our assessment is that our schools are safe, we have decided to take additional action steps to increase coverage and strengthen rules that will add an extra dimension to our security at all school buildings. We believe that these enhanced measures can be accomplished without compromising a conducive learning environment and a desirable school climate. However, of necessity, these actions will make it less convenient for entry and visitation to our school sites,'' Belson wrote.

In Cambridge, Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Young said in a prepared statement posted on the school district’s website that he convened an emergency meeting Sunday morning with senior staff to plan for the week. He said all principals will meet with staff prior to the start of school Monday to prepare teachers to meet with their students, and share ideas and strategies for developmentally appropriate responses to questions children might ask in school this week.

Young said district protocols call for exterior building doors to be locked, lockdown exercises have already been in place and during the current school year each class was equipped with an emergency procedures booklet.

But the superintendent said that even with the city’s safety measures in place, the school district still needs the communities help and support.

“We must heighten our awareness of situations that seem out of the ordinary and be active in reporting them to authorities,” Young said.

In Boston, police commissioner Ed Davis said Friday that he would increase police patrols.

"Although there is no connection to the Boston area, the shooting is disturbing,'' Davis said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Accordingly, we will be increasing uniformed police patrols in and around schools over the next several days.”

In an email to parents Sunday, Arlington Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Bodie said schools are planning to have as normal a school day as possible Monday, but counselors will be available at each school throughout the week. Bodie said the strong message to students will be that “they are in a safe environment with people who care about them very much and who are responsible for keeping their environment safe.

Police officers will be driving near Arlington schools during the day, Bodie said, but there will not be a police presence at each school all day. The superintendent said officials thought a police presence could cause more anxiety rather than alleviate anxiety.

But Bodie said a high level of vigilance will be followed by school officials and safety of the students is of paramount importance.

Thomas S. Kingston, the Interim Superintendent of Schools in Belmont, said there was "increased concern and regard" for school security.

'We do not discuss publicly our safety protocols or interventions because someone who might have ill intent could misuse such information. However, I do want to assure the public that we have heightened our vigilance, conferred with public safety officials, continually review our drills and procedures, and are doing all we can within our power to make sure our schools are as safe as possible,'' Kingston wrote.

Beverly Superintendent Marie E. Galinski said school officials there will be vigilant. "I have asked all of our principals to review all safety procedures with staff on Monday, December 17th,'' she said in a statement posted on a school website.

Framingham superintendent Stacy Scott said schools there are prepared for questions from students.

"Counselors and support staff will be in available in every school on Monday morning. The District Crisis Team has been activated and will be on hand to provide any additional support that is needed. School teams will review and reinforce safety protocols that are already in place in our school buildings,'' Scott said in a message posted on the school website.

In Needham, superintendent Dan Gutekanst sent an email to parents Friday assuring them that teachers would be ready for students' questions when they returned Monday. School officials say they want the day to be as normal as possible.

"The principals will meet with their entire faculty and staff early on Monday morning and before students arrive to discuss how to be prepared for students,'' Gutekanst wrote. "Each teacher will receive information and a script about what to do and/or say in the event a student raises a concern or questions about the tragedy.''

Addressing security, he wrote: "We review, plan, and practice emergency responses and protocols with students and staff throughout the year. We collaborate closely with the Needham Police and other public safety and health officials to review plans and procedures to maximize school safety and security. The principals know that attending to student and school safety is their first and most important priority.''

In Lexington, Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash said in a statement posted on the school district’s website that principals, school psychologists, guidance counselors and others would be available Monday and throughout the week.

On behalf of the school district, Ash said he sends his thoughts and prayers to the staff, students and families of Newtown Connecticut as they deal with the horrific tragedy.

“As we seek to comprehend and understand the horror of the event, we naturally think about how we can support children and families during this very difficult time,” Ash wrote.

Lexington’s School District has posted links to online resources for talking about school violence on its website.

Principals at Newton South High and Newton North High sent emailed announcments to the school communities over the weekend explaining the plans, assuring parents and students that security procedures were in place and offering tips on how to handle questions about the tragedy.

"Advisors and counselors will be ready to answer students’ questions after the moment of silence. We will also have counselors available in their offices for the entire day for any student who needs additional support,'' Newton South Principal Joel Stembridge said in an email sent Sunday.

Newton North Principal Jennifer Price sent a nearly identical message over the weekend.

"This type of tragedy inevitably makes us all re-examine our school safety. Please know that we have taken a number of actions over the last few years to make Newton South a safer place and will continue to work to make South as safe as possible,'' Stembridge's message said.

In Everett, the Immaculate Conception Parish is holding a prayer service Monday at 6 pm at the church.