Around Town

Learn About Healthy Eating from Watertown Group at the Farmers Market

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Live Well Watertown will kick off a series of healthy eating and cooking demonstrations this week at the Watertown Farmers Market. The Farmers Market runs from 2-6 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, at the Arsenal on the Charles, and features vendors with a variety of local food options. Live Well Watertown will have recipe ideas, have a seed planting activity for kids and there will be face painting. As a bonus, from 3-5 p.m., take a behind the scenes tour of the Farmers Market. Future events include cooking classes at the Watertown Free Public Library, which will also be taped by Watertown Cable for those who cannot attend. The series culminates the first year for the group which has the goal of promoting healthy living in town, said Stephanie Venizelos, project coordinator for Live Well Watertown.

Entertainment

The Love Dogs Return Watertown’s Summer Concert Series This Week

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Come out Thursday to hear blues and R&B songs during the free Watertown Summer Concert. The Love Dogs will play at Saltonstall Park (next to Town Hall) from 6:30-8 p.m. The band combines elements of jump blues, New Orleans R&B and early rock ‘n’ roll. The band features a large horn section with alto, tenor, baritone saxes and trombone, along with boogie-woogie piano and Fender guitar. The band was voted the Best New England Band by Blues Audience magazine.  The Love Dogs’ lineup consists of Eddie “Duato” Scheer, Alizon Lissance (keyboards, vocals), Myanna (alto/tenor sax, vocals), Glenn Shamboom (guitar, baritone sax), Randy Bramwell (bass, vocals), Steve Brown (drums, vocals), along with part time members Mario Perrett (tenor sax/vocals), Mark Paquin (tenor sax, trombone) and old friend “Sax” Gordon Beadle (tenor and baritone sax). Bring your lawn chairs, blanket and a picnic and dine al fresco with family, friends and neighbors.

Around Town

Watertown Children Graduate from Middlesex Sheriff’s Youth Academy

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The first week of the 2015 Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Youth Public Safety Academy (YPSA) concluded Friday, July 10, with a graduation ceremony for 106 area cadets from the communities of Belmont, Burlington, Waltham and Watertown. “I am incredibly honored to be able to offer this program to Middlesex County families,” said Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian in the graduation announcement. “It is a tremendous opportunity for us to teach youngsters important public safety lessons in a fun environment, while also providing an opportunity for those same cadets to get to know members of their local police and fire departments.”

 

This is the 16th year of the YPSA program for children ages 9-11 from across Middlesex County. This year the Academy will run six full weeks, with participants from more than 24 communities. Over the course of the week, cadets learned about fire hazards in their homes at the Middlesex Sheriff’s fire safety trailer; participated in team building exercises at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Billerica; witnessed a K-9 demonstration; and visited with local police and fire officials during community day activities.

Police/Fire

Man Allegedly Steals Taxi in Watertown, Leads Chase on Mass Pike

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A man who allegedly stole a taxi in Watertown did not stop until he reached Western Mass. and was stopped by Massachusetts State Police. Welbert Nasser, 29, of Woburn, reportedly took the cab in Watertown at about 3 a.m. Monday morning. He then got on the Mass Turnpike and later was spotted in Ashland by State Police, according to a report by WCVB Channel 5. Troopers tried to stop the car in Auburn, but it sped away at about 100 miles per hour.

Around Town

Watertown, Indian Tribes Renew Ties During Historical Society Event

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Descendants from a treaty signing that took place in Watertown more than three centuries ago gathered on town for the reenactment and celebration of two historic events that took place in town when the United States was just days old. On Saturday, the Historical Society of Watertown held its annual reenactment of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Massachusetts and the signing of the Treaty of Watertown. The treaty was the first signed by the fledgling nation with a foreign group, in this case with two tribes of American Indians – the Mi’kmaq and the Maliseet (or St. John’s) Indians. The Declaration of Independence arrived in Watertown on July 16, 1776, and was read for the first time in Massachusetts two days later from the window of the Council Chamber in the Meeting House, which used to stand where the Common Street Cemetery now sits.

Elections

LETTER: Retired Firefighter Announces Candidacy for West End Councilor

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Robert B. McCarthy, a lifelong Watertown resident who resides at 71 Bromfield St., announced that he is a candidate for Town Councilor representing District D.

“I believe it is time for a change. I pledge to vigorously campaign and will listen to the people of Watertown,” McCarthy said. Town Clerk John Flynn notified Mr. McCarthy Friday that his nomination papers have been certified. McCarthy, a Viet Nam Era U.S. Navy Veteran, previously served as an elected Town Meeting Member before the Town voted to change the Town Government and Charter to a Town Manager/Council form of government in 1981. He served for thirty four years in the Watertown Fire Department retiring as a Captain in 2001. He also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts from 1987 to 2011.

Letters

LETTER: Resident Wants Ban on Any Controversial Flag From Public Spaces

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To The Editor:

Recent events indicate that certain flags can divide a community in unsettling ways, to the point where we now have some people in the South ripping small flags from other vehicles, which of course does not help the overall situation. Regarding this, I would suggest the Town Council establishing a town ordinance that would prohibit the public display of any flag on public buildings, bridges, schools, parks, etc., that could be considered controversial, or offensive to any persons or group, such as a Confederate flag, the Gay rainbow flag, religious or political flags, and the flag of any country that may be at war with the USA. This ordinance could eliminate future problems that lately seem to be around every corner and on every news broadcast. Of course this would have no bearing on what citizens display on their own property. A flag should help bring people together, and not divide them.

Around Town

Huge Tree Limb Falls in Watertown Square Delta

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A large limb from an historic tree in Watertown Square broke off and fell on the Watertown Delta Sunday. 

The cause of the broken limb was not apparent to Public Works officials on Sunday afternoon, said DPW Superintendent Gerald Mee. “In the middle of a beautiful day, it just dropped,” Mee said. The limb is lying on the large grassy area in Watertown Square known as the Delta, and does not pose a danger, so it will be removed Monday, according to Mee. The limb, which is at least 40 feet in length, is one of the trees that have lights on and light up during the holiday season. Mee said the tree has been around “a long time.”