Around Town

LETTER: Part 2: My City of Watertown New Year’s Predictions & Ninth City Resolution

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

These are my opinions, based upon hundreds of conversations, attending numerous City meetings, and making thousands of observations over the past few years. I hope that they can stimulate conversation and help busy Watertown folks focus on some of the current issues. Things to be on the lookout for in 2024, if these City resolutions are not taken to heart by our City Councilors:

1 – Expect the assault on residents’ quality of life to continue:

Short-Term Rentals. That’s where your neighbors are allowed to run an informal hotel business out of their homes right next door to you. (And the City gets to collect a fee).

Sports

Gold Kings Victorious in First Ever Game in New Hockey League

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Graphic from https://www.instagram.com/goldkingshockey/

The Boston Gold Kings made a successful debut, defeating the Holyoke Papermen 6-3 on home ice at the John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown. Saturday night’s game was the first ever in the brand new Union Hockey League. The Gold Kings’ first goal was scored by Jarrod Fitzpatrick. The semi-pro team is made up of players with experience in the minor leagues, college, and juniors. The Gold Kings celebrated the first victory on social media saying:

“First win in the books for the Gold Kings in our home opener! @jarrod_fitzpatrick scores the first goal in BGK history.

Schools

Free Workforce Training Courses Offered by MassBay College

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MassBay Community College Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) students practice skills in the nursing labs on the MassBay Framingham campus, Framingham, MA, May 2019 (Photo/MassBay Community College). The following announcement was provided by MassBay Community College:

This spring, MassBay Community College is offering free workforce training courses for eligible Massachusetts residents in Automotive Damage Appraisal, Behavioral Health Technician I, Behavioral Health Technician II, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), English as a Second Language (ESL), and Phlebotomy. These grant funded courses are one-semester and provide students with in-demand skills that will strengthen gaps in the local workforce needs. “We are thrilled to continue to offer community members these classes, free of charge, enabling them to gain skills that qualify them for positions in growing industries that need trained and ready-to-work professionals,” said MassBay Executive Director of Corporate Partnerships, Workforce Development and Community Education Colleen Coffey. “Community members are able to learn a new profession in just a few short months, and in many instances, they are offered jobs at the conclusion of their clinical placements.”

Prospective students interested in learning more can visit MassBay’s Corporate Partnerships & Workforce Development (CPWD) course listing or email or call cpwd@massbay.edu or 781-270-4100.

Around Town

Owl Trapped in Net in Watertown Rehabilitated & Released – See the Video!

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A Great Horned Owl that got trapped in a net in Watertown was released back into the wild this week. (Screen shot from Video)

An owl that got caught up in the netting at an athletic field in Watertown in December has been nursed back to heath and this week it was released back into the wild. The Great Horned Owl was released at Victory Field, and it flew into the trees on nearby Whitney Hill. The Watertown Police Department sent out the following statement on social media:

“An update on the Great Horned Owl … Back on December 13, 2023, the owl had to be cut out of a batting cage net and sent to a Veterinary clinic before going to a rehabilitation center in Wayland.

Entertainment

Watertown Artist Shares Artwork & Artist Books at Library Exhibit

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The T. Ross Kelly Gallery at the Watertown Free Public Library is hosting “Constructed” – an exhibit featuring artwork and artist books by Watertown resident, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, January 3, 2024, through February 28, 2024. All of the artworks in this exhibit were constructed – from the literal forming of flat paper into three-dimensional books, to the careful placement of shape, line, and color in the abstract work on display. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Balzer shares her perspective on the creative process, stating, “For me, the process of making art is the process of bringing together various elements and discovering how they change each other once in combination. These visual constructions are similar to the experience of forming a lively dinner party, where you must consider how to seat guests.” Art enthusiasts, patrons, and the community are all invited to visit “Constructed,” now through February 28, 2024

A bathroom cabinet with stone basin byJulie Fei-Fan Balzer.

Entertainment

See the Latest Adventures of Small Saves in This Week’s Cartoon

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James DeMarco grew up in Watertown and became a goaltender at age 5. It’s his life’s passion to stand between the pipes and keep the puck out of the net. Combining this with the love of cartooning Small Saves emerged in 1991 and took on a life of his own. “To play goal – then come home and draw Small Saves — is my ideal definition of a good day.”

Around Town

Snow Emergency Declared in Watertown for Weekend Storm

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Snow forecast for Saturday and Sunday from WBZ Channel 4. The City of Watertown will be under a snow emergency beginning Saturday evening. The storm that is forecast to begin hitting the area on Saturday evening could drop six inches or more of snow on Watertown, according to the WBZ Channel 4 forecast. See the City’s announcement below:

The Superintendent of Public Works is declaring a snow emergency effective 6:00 PM, Saturday, January 6, 2024. On-street parking will be banned, and any motor vehicle left on the street will be subject to towing.