The black Chevy Tahoe SUVs, the security, the press, the dash inside the up-scale restaurant, the surprised diners, the excited staff.  A celebrity sighting in Belmont Center!  Was it Belmont's own Hollywood producer and writer David Kelley and his wife, Michelle Pfeiffer, entering il Casale? Did the entire Boston Bruins team return to the restaurant where they held this year's break up dinner to celebrate the NHL's lock-out? Is comedian Dane Cook still a big enough star to warrant the "TMZ" treatment? Nope, just long-time resident Mitt and Ann Romney with their son and daughter-in-law, Tagg …

Sherrine and Phillip Thomas were doing what grandparents do best, happy to babysit their youngest grandchildren – the nearly four-month-old twin boys – while their daughter and son-in-law took the oldest grand kids to Florida for a couple days. But the reason for the trip was not a vacation but rather a celebration. And despite being 1,350 miles away, the Thomas' were able to join the nation watching the family in Tampa. The Thomas' are the in-laws of Greensbrook Way's Tagg Romney, Mitt and Ann's oldest son, who is married to Sherrine and Phillips' daughter, Jennifer. And last night, the …

Grant Bennett and his wife initially encountered Mitt and Ann Romney in 1978 after the Bennett moved to Boston so Grant could attend graduate school. "We met them our first Sunday at church and we’ve been friends ever since. We have served together in various capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," said Bennett in an interview today, Aug. 30, with Bob Oakes on WBUR's Morning Edition. You can listen to the interview on WBUR's website. Soon afterward, the Bennett's moved to Belmont and "have simply been friends" with the Romney's for those nearly 35 years. And tonight, …

A South Cottage Road resident will be giving a speech on all the major network and cable television channels tonight. It helps to know that she's married to one of the candidates for President of the United States. OK, it's Ann Romney if you couldn't guess by now. The wife of Mitt Romney will be the star attraction at the first full night of the Republican National Convention in Tampa. "A spirited Ann Romney arrived in Tampa late Tuesday morning, expressing excitement at her opportunity to introduce her husband to millions of Americans," said a CBS News article. The article noted the Romney's…

The national cable news networks flew into hyper-drive and political websites issued hourly bulletins as Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney confirmed Friday night that he had made a decision on his choice for vice president. When the word came that Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin congressman, was Romney's man, another wave of information – ranging from substantive to trivia – swept over viewers and readers. And finally, when Romney and Ryan made a joint announcement on a retired battleship in Virginia on Saturday, the event was covered by nearly all the news networks except for those …

Just before 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 10, the traffic on both branches of Beech Street funneling into Trapelo Road was backing up nearly a block due to a state police motorcycle officer in the middle of the intersection with his arms outstretched.  "It can only mean one of two things," said one member of a tree company crew stuck on Beech who took out his iPhone to film the event. "It's either a funeral or Romney's in town." "Or the King of Saudi Arabia is on vacation," added another jokster, as a growing number of commuters, workers and passersbys began looking down the street in anticipation …

With the Democratic and Republican contenders having been set for months, the national media has needed a new storyline. So for weeks now, we've been hearing about the seemingly endless choices for Mitt Romney's running mate. Will it be Marco Rubio, Condi Rice, or even New Hampshire's own Kelly Ayotte? Romney isn't saying, and some are speculating that he might wait all the way until the Republican National Convention at the end of this month. Fortunately, there's a way to make sure you're among the first who find out when Romney does make his announcement – download the free "Mitt's VP app" …

Mitt Romney is in the place where his presidential campaign started as he makes a speech at Scamman Farm in Stratham, NH tomorrow.Romney will speak at 10:30 a.m. at the farm run by husband and wife (and former state representatives) Doug and Stella Scamman.

Belmont's Mitt Romney will be returning where it all started when he campaigns at Scamman Farm in Stratham, NH tomorrow. Romney will speak at 10:30 a.m. Doors to the farm open at 9:30 a.m. The event is open to the public, but you must register for the event here. A little over a year ago, Romney officially announced his candidacy for president at Scamman Farm, which is run by husband and wife (and former state representatives) Doug and Stella Scamman. "Obama has failed America," Romney declared on June 2, 2011. You can watch his comments in the video on this web page.

While there was a nail-bitter-of-a-vote to determine the salary of the Town Clerk on the final night of the Belmont Town Meeting, the vote to secure the Republican  nomination to run for President of the United States in November has been a foregone conclusion for months. And last night, long-time Belmont resident Mitt Romney broke through the milestone number by winning the Texas Republican primary with 69 percent of the vote, according to the Wall Street Journal. "I am honored that Americans across the country have given their support to my candidacy and I am humbled to have won enough …

With the road unencumbered with opponents, Belmont's Mitt Romney drove through Nebraska and Oregon to win the state's Republican presidential primary Tuesday by more than 60 percentage points over his closest challengers. Romney did not campaign in the states other than a rally last week in Omaha and did not issue any comments on winning, according to Politico. In fact, the big news in Nebraska was the upset win by part-time cow poke and State Sen. Deb Fischer to become the Republican candidate for US Senate.

Flanked by commercial fishermen, and with a possible running mate behind him, Mitt Romney today accused President Obama of letting regulators "run amok." The presumptive GOP presidential nominee said regulators are "just multiplying like proverbial rabbits." “If I’m elected president, I am going to be a pro small business president and fight for the rights of small business,” the Belmont resident said. Romney said President Obama continues to hinder small business growth with the passage of national health care reform and too much federal regulation that raises the cost of running a business…

Mitt Romney looked certain to continue his march toward a showdown with President Barack Obama, leading Rhode Island in Tuesday’s Republican primary with 63 percent of the statewide vote with 96 percent of districts reporting as of 10:15 p.m., according to RI Secretary of State Ralph Mollis's election results web page. With most numbers in, Romney appeared headed for a sweep nationally, taking Delaware with 57 percent of the vote, Connecticut with 67 percent, Pennsylvania with 60 percent. Romney was leading New York with only 7 percent reporting as of late Tuesday night. There were 200 total …

While the race is all but over, the Republican presidential field casts its eyes to five states with primaries and 222 delegates on the line.  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the clear frontrunner, but Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich remain in the race.  Voters will go out to vote in New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Romney leads the field with 685 delegates, more than halfway to the 1,144 needed to wrap up the presidential nomination, according to The New York Times.   The latest Quinnipiac poll has Romney leading in New York with 54 percent of those polled…

Mitt Romney's campaign has tapped a Brookline resident to oversee the search for a vice president that will fit his presidential ticket. “I have selected someone who has been a counselor of mine for a number of years, Beth Myers. She was my chief of staff when I was governor,” the Belmont resident told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer in an interview which ran last night. Myers also tweeted about the decision on her newly-created account @BethMyers2012,  The Boston Globe observed that Myers' decision will be one of the most-scrutinized of the campaign, in a piece this morning, and that Romney is …

For Mitt Romney, yesterday's events have made it clear that the long-time Belmont resident will be matched-up with President Obama in November's Presidental General Election.  Convincing victories over his main challenger, former Sen. Rick Santorum, in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington DC, and being called out by Obama during a speech attacking the former Mass. governor's support for US Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wisconsin) budget has all but confirmed to both the Romney camp and the president that the South Cottage Road homeowner will be the Republican nominee for President. And as of yesterday, …

Join Patch sites in Wisconsin to follow the Republican Primary tonight – they begin counting at 9 p.m. Belmont time – to follow fellow resident Mitt Ronmey in his trek to become the Republican nominee for President. The Patch team in the Land of Cheeseheads will be talking to voters, experts and local election officials throughout the day to see how the race is taking shape. We'll also be at the campaign parties of Romney and chief challenger former Sen. Rick Santorum, and we'll post excerpts from other media outlets about the campaign. And we invite you to share your thought on the election …

If there is one member of the Romney family who has connected to Belmont residents, it would be Mitt Romney's wife, Ann.  Having lived in Belmont since she was in her early 20s in the mid-1970s, Ann Romney is a familiar figure in Belmont, accompanying her children and now grandchildren around town, in the Center shopping, buying seafood at Frankie's or getting her hair done. And the opinion among residents who have met her socially, politically or on the street is universal: Ann Romney is a really nice lady. Genuine and pleasant, her personal appeal transcends the notable liberal leanings of …

Frontrunner Mitt Romney's winning streak in the Republican Primary will end tonight as the former Mass. governor is likely to finish second to former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum in the Louisiana primary.  Yet, according the AP, even if Santorum does win, it is not expected to change the overall complexion of the race to become the party's nominatee against President Obama in November. Santorum will continue to lag behind the Belmont resident in delegates, 563 to 263, and fundraising as Romney continues to gather more support from party leaders, who are now urging Santorum and former House …

Mitt Romney won a convincing victory in the Illinois Republican Primary Tuesday, March 20, over his nearest challenger, former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum. Romney nearly reached the 50 percent mark, winning 47 percent of voters in what was called the Lincoln Primary. Santorum trailed with 35 percent while Texas Rep. Ron Paul (9 percent) and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (8 percent) were well behind. The former Mass. governor picked up 41 delegates to 10 for Santorum, increasing his lead to 563 delegates, just about half of what he needs to become the Republican nominee to face …