Schools

Chamber Scholarship Deadline is Approaching!

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The Charles River Regional Chamber announced it is offering scholarship opportunities for up to four deserving students who either live in Needham, Newton, Watertown, or Wellesley and/or who attend school in Needham, Newton, Watertown, or Wellesley and who plan to attend an accredited program, community college, college or university in the next academic year. The student(s) selected will have a check (approximately $2,000) sent to their college or university to apply toward tuition upon completing their first semester. New this year, the chamber is expanding eligibility for a scholarship to include high school graduates attending community colleges and other accredited post-secondary programs.

Selection will be made by a panel of local leaders who will review all applications completed by the submission deadline of March 29, 2024, at 5 p.m. Decisions will be made based on a combination of the application’s completeness and accuracy, letter of recommendation, and responses to essay questions. For more information and to apply – https://www.charlesriverchamber.com/scholarship

Around Town

A Bad Day for 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.”

Government

City Manager Submits Nominees for Watertown Human Rights Commission

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Starting with a pool of 28 applicants, City Manager George Proakis selected a group of nine people which is “very diverse with a very interesting mix of backgrounds” to nominate for Watertown’s first Human Rights Commission. The changes to Watertown’s Charter approved by voters in 2021 included the creation of a Human Rights Commission. More than two years later, the inaugural group of commissioners were submitted by Proakis to the City Council on Tuesday. “This one has been a complicated and long process to get us to this point,” Praokis said. The City Council adopted the ordinance to create the Human Rights Commission in September 2023, and in December 2023 Proakis sent out notice that he was seeking applicants for the Commission.

Police/Fire

WPD Hosting Community Police Academy, Neighborhood Meeting

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The Watertown Police Department is still looking for a few recruits to attend a Community Police Academy that kicks off on March 26. The Police will also hold the first in a series of neighborhood meetings at St. James Church. 

The Watertown Police provided the following announcements:

Community Police Academy

WHEN? From March 26 to April 30, every Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Topics will Include:

• Roles and Responsibilities of Detective, Patrol, & Traffic Operations. • Our School Resource Officers and Community Policing Initiatives. • The Legal Issues that shape law enforcement.

Business

Chamber Hosting Events for Non-Profits, Young Professionals, on Cyber Security, Plus the Taste of Our Towns

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Check out the upcoming events presented by the Charles River Regional Chamber. Webinar: Leadership Succession Planning – Good Governance for Sustainable Nonprofits

Date: Tues. March 26

Time: Noon to 1 p.m. 

Cost: $15

Description:

This virtual event, led by Nanette Fridman, founder of Effect Collective, will explore the important governance responsibilities of professional and volunteer succession planning. The Charles River Regional Chamber serves business professionals who work/live in Needham, Newton, Watertown, Wellesley, and the surrounding communities. Link: https://charlesriverchamber.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/4rkmKXOP?mode=AttendeeTitle:

Young Professionals Happy Hour at Oak n’Barrel (In-Person)

Date: Tues. March 26

Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Cost: $10 – all proceeds will go towards Reach: Beyond Domestic Violence nonprofit 

Description:

Join the young professionals group for an evening of networking to support a great cause!

Government

City Considering Going to Half Days on Fridays All Year Long

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

City Manager George Proakis asked the City Council to consider changing the hours for City Hall, along with the Senior Center, to half days on Fridays because it would help with recruitment of employees and added that Friday afternoons are slow for City departments. The proposal would impact City Hall, the Parker Annex and the Senior Center, and would make the hours they are open to the public 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays; and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Typically, Watertown City Hall has hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday most of the year, and during the summer it is open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and closes at 2 p.m. on Fridays. Many city and town governments have half days on Fridays for the entire year, Proakis said. City officials examined open hours for neighboring communities, and those communities that are comparable to Watertown. They found that 12 of the 18 communities have full-year half-day Fridays.

Around Town

Mosesian Center Hosting Visual and Performing Arts Classes, Seeks Pieces for Exhibit

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The following information was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:

Registration has opened for spring classes for youth and adults in visual and performing arts at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, and registration continues for summer youth programs. A call for art for a spring exhibition is also open. Visual and Performing Arts Classes

Mosesian Arts offers over thirty performing and visual arts classes for children, teens, and adults. Visual arts classes include painting, drawing, printmaking, and mixed media for adults, and fiber arts, comics, and introductory classes for young artists. Classes in the performing arts include acting, voice, improv, and technical theater. The low-cost Visual Narratives program has also begun a new session in the Aging Creatively Initiative for adults age 55 and older, funded in part by the Marshall Home Fund.