April 14, 2021
Belmont, Massachusetts’ Armenian Americans have continued their energetic participation in town government with the April 6, 2021 election.
Newly elected Town Meeting members are Ed Berberian, Carol Kennedy Berberian, David Boyajian, Deran Muckjian, and William Musserian.
They will join current members Arto Asadoorian, Joan Terlemezian Drevins, Karen Barmakian Herosian, Jirair Hovsepian, Vera Iskandarian, Mary Ann Kazanjian, Raffi Manjikian, Karnig Ostayan and Judith Ananian Sarno.
Several of these persons have served on other town bodies such as the Belmont Media Advisory Board, Belmont Cultural Council, Department of Public Works/Belmont Police Building Committee, Human Rights Commission, Planning Board, and Warrant Committee.
Belmont Town Meeting has 288 elected members representing eight precincts.
It debates and votes on issues such as town budgets and local bylaws. Town Meeting recently passed zoning bylaws for affordable ‘age restricted’ housing and assisted living on So. Pleasant St, and ‘age restricted’ and mixed use housing at the McLean Hospital property.
Belmont also has a three person elected Select Board that helps to develop the town budget and the Town Meeting warrant.
On the initiative of Jirair Hovsepian, the Select Board annually issues a proclamation on the Armenian Genocide.
The First Armenian Church (Evangelical), Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, and the National Association of Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) are located in Belmont. The town has many Armenian owned businesses such as Ani Catering, Brothers Auto Service, DVIN Jewelers, Eastern Lamejun Bakers, Fiorella’s Express, Belmont Shoe Repair, Jacques Tailoring, Mark & Toni’s Coal Fired Pizza, Nanor Prints, Raffy’s Barbershop, Roberts Salon, The Toy Shop of Belmont, Varter’s Oriental Rugs, and Vicki Lee’s Bakery.
The town’s population is about 26,000. Arlington, Cambridge, Lexington, Waltham, and Watertown adjoin Belmont and are home to significant numbers of active Armenian Americans.
I am Michael M. Kazanjian, and I wish to announce my third book, Unified Philosophy: Interdisciplinary Metaphysics, Ethics, and Liberal Arts.3rd Edition. Cognella Publishing.
I am available for presentations of my book to group. I live in Chicago. Thanks.