Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. George Oviatt

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Rev. George Alexander Oviatt

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 14 of 15. Reverend George Alexander Oviatt was Born on April 11, 1811, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He died June 1, 1887, in Sudbury, Massachusetts, from paralysis. Reverend Oviatt, graduated from Yale in 1835, and then its divinity school.

Entertainment

Watertown Resident Took to the Boston Calling Stage Saturday

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Noah Kahan performed at Boston Calling on Saturday. His music is inspired by his home state of Vermont, but now resides in Watertown. (Photo courtesy of NoahKahan.com)

Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan took the biggest stage at the premier music festival in New England — Boston Calling — on Saturday night. He grew up in a small town in Vermont, but the 26-year-old now calls Watertown home. Kahan’s meteoric rise was aided by a viral song about his home state, “Stick Season.”

Police/Fire

Knife Wielding Man Tried to Rob Watertown Massage Spa, Resembles Suspect in Similar Incident

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Images of the suspect or suspects in armed robberies of massage businesses in Watertown, on the left, and Cambridge on the right. Police said it could be the same man. (Photos courtesy of the Watertown Police Department). On May 16, a man came into a Watertown massage spa carrying a knife and demanded money from an employee. Watertown Police said the suspect resembles a man wanted for robbing a massage business in Cambridge.

Government

Council Denies Zoning Change for Property with Church Near Belmont St.

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A Google Earth image of the former Belmont Baptist Church. Developers sought a zoning change to allow for the building to be preserved and to develop other parts of the property. A majority of the City Council could not be convinced that the zoning should be changed for a parcel with a former church on Templeton Parkway. The change would have protected the building from being torn down, but also could allow a range of uses from education to restaurant or commercial, as well as housing. The proposal to create a Religious/School Building Overlay District at 126-134 Templeton Parkway, a property next to Belmont Street that includes the former Belmont Baptist Church building.

Sports

Watertown Grad Makes Track All-Region Team, Competing at NCAAs

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Watertown’s Abbi Peterson earned All-East Region honors, and will compete in the NCAA Div. III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. (Photo courtesy of Bridgewater State Athletics). Bridgewater State senior Abbi Peterson, a Watertown High School grad, was named to the NCAA Division III All-East Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). She will be competing in the NCAA Championships on Thursday.

Around Town

Former Recreation Director Tom Sullivan Has Left His Mark on Watertown’s Parks and Youth

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Charlie BreitroseRecreation Department staff current and past: (from left) current Director Peter Centola, Assistant Director Ernie Thebado and former Director Tom Sullivan. From a young age, Tom Sullivan had an interest in parks, athletic fields and gyms. He even took detours on trips to get a closer look at something at a park in another community that caught his eye. On May 3, 1973, Sullivan walked into his office on the top floor of Town Hall (where the Planning Department is now), to start his career as Watertown Recreation Director. He served in that position for 36 years, and continues to lend a hand and provide advice 50 years later. Sullivan had worked for three years at what was known as the Waltham Boys Club prior to taking the job in Watertown.