Government

U.S. Rep Clark Presents Watertown with $240K for Project to Protect River, Increase Climate Resiliency

By |

Charlie BreitroseCongresswoman Catherine Clark looks on as Watertown City Manager George Proakis speaks about the $240,000 in federal funds to build stormwater tree trenches in town. Congresswoman Katherine Clark visited City Hall Monday to announce $240,000 in federal funding for a climate-related project in Watertown. The City will use the money to install 15 tree trenches designed to remove pollutants from the Charles River and cool temperatures by providing more trees on City streets. The Department of Public Works applied for the money after hearing about the funding, said Watertown DPW Superintendent Greg St. Louis.

Business

Charles River Chamber Seeks Nominations for Business, Non-Profit Leaders of Color

By |

The Charles River Regional Chamber sent out the following announcement:

Do you know an outstanding business leader of color, or emerging leader of color, who works and/or sits on a board for a business or nonprofit that is physically located in Newton, Needham, Watertown, Waltham, Wellesley, Natick or Framingham? If so, please consider nominating that person for the “50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color in Greater Boston’s Western Suburbs” list or the “Emerging Leaders of Color” list due to be published this spring. Both lists are a collaborative project between the Charles River Regional Chamber and Colette Phillips, and her companies Colette Phillips Communications and Get Konnected! and are designed to celebrate, document and encourage a diverse workforce in Greater Boston’s west suburban communities. The report will be an updated — and expanded — version of the original list first published in 2020 that became a resource for corporations and nonprofits looking to hire, looking for board members, looking for expert commentators and looking for thought leaders across the region.

Around Town

Apartment Complex Could be Build Near Watertown on IHOP Site

By |

A Google Maps screenshot showing the IHOP (the red dot) on Soldiers Field Road in Brighton, on the other side of the Charles River from Squibnocket Park in Watertown. A project with 200 housing units and commercial will be built on that site and the site where a former motel sits. The late-night dining destination on the other side of the Charles River from Watertown may become a complex with residential and commercial space. Universal Hub reports the plans will soon be filed for a residential project on property on Soldiers Field Road in Brighton where the IHOP (1850 Soldiers Field Road) and motel stand. The location sits near where North Beacon Street crosses from Watertown heading east, and converges with Soldiers Field Road, Nonantum Road, and the Birmingham Parkway in a rotary intersection.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Arrested for OUI After Striking Tree, Resident Scammed for Large Amount of Money

By |

The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

Jan. 10, 1:11 a.m.: A vehicle struck a utility pole on Watertown Street near Galen Street. Police responded to the area and spotted the vehicle on the sidewalk near 20 Watertown St. The vehicle had been traveling westbound on California Street and when it merged onto Watertown Street it crossed over the traffic island and struck two signs.

Entertainment

Art Show Made by Autistic Man from Watertown on Display in Cambridge

By |

Dominic Killiany

Dominic Killiany, who is autistic, has difficulty communicating verbally, but he has been able to express himself in his paintings. Works of art created by the 24-year-old Watertown resident are now on display at LabCentral in Cambridge’s Kendall Square, and a public reception will be held on Jan. 25. His mother Susan Cicconi explained about Killiany’s artistic approach in the artist statement for the exhibit: “Dominic’s art is his passion. He is autistic, his art is his visual poetry and connection to the world.

Around Town

Unity Award Goes to Group Behind Film Series, New Scholarships Announced

By |

Watertown Cable AccessThe winners of the 2023 Unity Award, Epiteo Evans and Kara Salvi, who founded Race Reels in Watertown. Most years the annual Unity Award goes to an individual who has made a difference in Watertown, but this year the committee gave it to a group that screens films locally that spark conversations about issues facing the community and the nation. On Jan. 9, the pair behind Race Reels, Epiteo Evans and Kara Salvi, received the Unity Award at special event. The pair was also highlighted in the Unity Breakfast video celebration, which was presented by the World in Watertown.

Entertainment

Armenian Museum Extends Major Art Exhibition Through February

By |

Some of the pieces in Armenian Museum of America’s “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s-1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection.” From top left: Laddie John Dill, “Portrait of Joan, 2016,” hand blown and colored glass tubing, argon gas with mercury transformer, 60; Joe Fay, “Joan, 1984,” Prismacolor on Arches paper, 34” x 26; Gregory Wiley Edwards, “Expanded Resonance, 1992,” acrylic on canvas, 46″ x 69 3/4. If you have not caught one of the biggest art exhibits in Watertown, you have more time to see the show featuring artists like Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Frank Gehry. The Armenian Museum of America has extended its exhibition, “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art 1970s-1990s from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection,” through Feb. 26, 2023. The exhibit includes 125 works in a variety of media by more than 75 artists.