Election 2021

Vote By Mail Ballots Available for Watertown’s Town Election in November

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Charlie Breitrose

The Town of Watertown sent out the following information:

The Watertown 2021 Local Election on November 2, 2021 will have ballot questions involving the Town Charter as well as elected positions. Vote by mail if you’re unable to come to the polls on Election Day. Information about submitting an application and then voting by mail. You may request a Vote By Mail ballot by:

• Sending a written request via mail (please include original signature). • Completing a Vote By Mail Ballot Application (PDF) and submit the application via email to the Town Clerk’s office, via postal mail, in-person, drop in the Ballot box outside of Town Hall on the Saltonstall side of Town Hall, or electronically via fax at 617-972-6595

• Call the Town Clerk at 617-972-6486 to request a Vote By Mail Application be mailed to you.

District A

LETTER: Resident Endorses Nicole Gardner for District A Councilor

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I’ve lived in Watertown for more than ten years and in that time I have been active in several local groups, such as the Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice and the Environment as well as Watertown Community Conversations. I’m writing today to endorse Nicole Gardner for District A Town Councilor because I know that she will bring her outstanding skills and qualities to this role. I encourage my fellow East End residents to cast a vote for Nicole on November 2nd. Nicole and I both served on the Steering Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice and the Environment, where I observed her excellent listening skills, her spirit of collaboration, and her ability to zero in on a problem and offer a creative solution. She’s a strategic thinker, always exploring the implications of actions that the committee endorsed.  

I’ve been consistently impressed by Nicole’s ability to understand the complex issues facing residents of Watertown, especially evident in our work together with Watertown Forward, which encouraged community engagement in the charter review process.

Around Town

First Parish of Watertown Welcomes New Minister After Year-Long Search

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First Parish of WatertownRev. Sophia Lyons was chosen to be the new minister at First Parish of Watertown. The following announcement was provided by First Parish of Watertown:

First Parish of Watertown is pleased to welcome Reverend Sophia Lyons as its new minister. The congregation voted to call Rev. Sophia as its minister last spring, after a year-long search and discernment process. First Parish of Watertown is a Unitarian Universalist congregation, welcoming people from all faith traditions and backgrounds to join in finding meaning and building connections. Rev. Sophia embodies the breadth of spirituality, compassion, honesty, and passion in her ministry that came through as the congregation’s key desires for a minister. She is deeply committed to building Beloved Community, to being radically welcoming, and to anti-oppression work.

Around Town

Watertown Actress Playing Lead Role in Production of “The Last Wide Open” in Concord

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Watertown’s Rebecca Shor plays the lead role in The Umbrella Stage Company’s production of “The Last Wide Open.” The following announcement was provided by the Umbrella Stage Company:

The Umbrella Stage Company returns to live theater for the 2021/2022 season with a fresh, intimate staging of Audrey Cefaly’s romantic comedy, The Last Wide Open. Starring Watertown actress Rebecca Shor, with Ethan Butler and Kayla Shimizu, the play tells the story of Lina, a young waitress, and Roberto, an Italian immigrant, who have been working together for years but rarely talk. If they do talk, it’s from a distance or gets lost in translation. But when a late-night thunderstorm finds them alone in the restaurant at closing time, they find their lives intersecting in surprising and mystical ways.

Entertainment

September is Filled with Music and Fitness Classes at Arsenal Yards

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Arsenal YardsArsenal Yards will have Backyard Sessions musical acts and fitness classes through the end of September. The following information was provided by Arsenal Yards:

With fall just around the corner, Arsenal Yards invites residents, workers, and visitors to get outside and enjoy the weather through a variety of complimentary events happening throughout the vibrant new neighborhood this September. Guests and residents of Arsenal Yards are invited to enjoy a series of free fitness classes along with outdoor live music performances through the new Backyard Sessions music series all month long! “Due to popular demand for fitness and the incredible response we had to our outdoor summer picnics, we are excited to invite the Watertown community back out onto the River Green at Arsenal Yards to continue our Outdoor Fitness Series and kick off our Backyard Sessions performances this September,” said Jessica Reed, Marketing Director at Arsenal Yards. “With notable new openings taking place at Arsenal Yards this fall, including the newly opened Buttermilk & Bourbon and Sweetgreen, and soon-to-open additions like Tori Jiro and Condesa Restaurante & Tequila Bar, we couldn’t think of a better time to offer visitors the space to enjoy everything that Arsenal Yards has to offer.” 

While the past year has made it difficult for many to workout indoors and in gyms, Arsenal Yards is excited to extend its popular Outdoor Fitness Series through the end of September. With outdoor, socially distanced classes ranging from yoga and barre to boot camps and cardio kickboxing, participating studios include Pure Barre Arsenal Yards, Kick it by Eliza, Artemis Yoga, Breathe Studio, Get Lively: Health & Fitness and Ballroom in Boston.

Around Town

West Nile Virus Risk Level Raised to High in Watertown and Surrounding Areas

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The Watertown Health Department sent out the following information:

We have been advised that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is raising the West Nile Virus Risk level for Watertown and surrounding communities to high. This means that the risk of contracting West Nile Virus is increased and persons over 50 and the immunocompromised are at greater risk for severe illness. They should take precautions and limit their activity outdoors during peak mosquito periods (dusk to dawn). Residents should also eliminate all standing water in their yards and remove any receptacles that can collect and hold water. Also apply Insect Repellent when you go outdoors.

Entertainment

Comics: Always a Critic in Here’s Trouble and Small Saves Shows Off

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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.”

DeMarco recently added “Here’s Trouble” to his cartooning lineup, inspired by drawings he did in the 1980s when he was in high school.

Entertainment

Watertown Free Public Library Embraces the Power of Zines

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Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Library will host Zine Fest on Oct. 2 — a day-long celebration of zine culture and DIY publishing. The following piece was provided by the Watertown Free Public Library:

On Saturday, October 2, The Watertown Free Public Library will host WFPL Zine Fest — a day-long celebration of zine culture and DIY publishing. Whether you are a die-hard zinester, or just want to learn what zines are and why they matter, the Library invites you to browse the marketplace, attend talks, and check out the brand-new circulating zine collection. If you’re asking “what’s a zine?” that’s ok.