Government

Volunteers Wanted to Distribute Flyers for Watertown Charter Review Committee

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The Charter Review Committee sent out the following announcement seeking volunteers:

Watertown Charter Review Committee Flyer Drop, Saturday, April 24 – Sunday, April 25. 

The Town of Watertown Charter Review Committee (CRC) needs many volunteers this weekend, Saturday, April 24 – Sunday, April 25 (and beyond, if needed) to drop off flyers to homes in your neighborhood to alert residents that the CRC is soliciting input from all residents on improvements to Watertown’s government. Learn about Watertown!-Interested volunteers, please contact John Gannon at (617) 905-4115 or at jggannon@yahoo.com. A raffle drawing of volunteers will be held for a donation to a charity or cause of your choice! Thanks! Crc Flyer 2021 0406 Final by Charlie Breitrose on Scribd

Charter Review Committee Votes to Keep Town Manager Form of Government

Entertainment

Revels Hosting a Performance & History of the Accordion on Live Online

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The following piece was provided by Revels:

Revels’ Musical Connections series continues with Tom Pixton: A Short History of the Accordion, Sunday, April 25 at 5pm ET, free on Facebook Live! Explore musical traditions from around the world with the #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections series of FREE intimate salon-style performances and companion podcasts, produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. The series includes 45-minute salon-style performances with a variety of musical tradition bearers hosted on  Facebook Live  and followed by a companion  podcast  produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council and hosted by the MCC’s Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager, Maggie Holtzberg.  

Next up: Tom Pixton: A Short History of the Accordion, Sunday, April 25 at 5pm ET, free on  Facebook Live! Don’t miss our next FREE (and fun) #RevelsConnects Facebook event with the legendary Tom Pixton, an International, Balkan, and Scottish folk dance musician who’s been active in a variety of traditional music scenes for more than 30 years. Tom has been a regular Revels performer since 1997 as an accordionist, arranger, singer, band leader, and friend.

Around Town

Watertown Citizens Group to Hear from Joint Groups Looking at Police Reform at April Meeting

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The following information was provided by Watertown Citizens for Peach Justice and the Environment:

The Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment will hold its April Monthly Meeting on Wednesday April 21 at 7:00 pm, online. The April monthly meeting of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment will feature presentations by the Watertown Joint Police Reform Group. The group comprises an alliance of three local teams: Uplift Watertown, the Kingian Response Team, and Watertown Citizens for Black Lives (a working group of WCPJE). The Police Reform group will present updates on multiple projects that seek to bring more accountability, transparency, communication and trust between the Watertown Police Department and our community. Following the presentations there will be ample time for questions and general discussion.

Around Town

See What’s Going on This Week at the Watertown Senior Center

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Watertown Senior Center

The following information was provided by the Watertown Senior Center:

Programs for Week of April 19, 2021

Join us via Zoom for the following programs. Call for access info: (617) 972-6490. New participants always welcome in every program! We hope you’ll join us! All Watertown Senior Center Programs via Zoom. Call (617) 972-6490 for details.

Entertainment

Small Saves Gets a New Teammate in This Week’s Comic Strip

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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

LETTER: Town Councilor Condemns “Disturbing” Sticker Found at Victory Field

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The following statement was first read by Town Councilor Tony Palomba at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting as part of a request for information about what steps the Town administration will take in response to an offensive sticker found at Victory Field recently. Town Council President Mark Sideris and School Committee Chair John Portz also spoke out against the sticker at meetings this week. Palomba’s statement reads:

It is disappointing and disturbing that a sticker of a Native American carrying a tomahawk and a Blue Lives Matter flag was posted on Town property in Watertown. We should be clear that this act of racist hate speech is not a one-off by a resident or visitor. Given the sophistication of the sticker — it required time, energy, and money to produce it — I would not be surprised to see more of these stickers around Town. 

I stand with those who believe there are many good people who reside in Watertown. But we must also accept the reality that there are among us individuals and groups of individuals who are determined to perpetuate stereotypes and foster division, and who espouse white supremacy and racism.

Around Town

Sunrise Watertown Holding March for Environment on Earth Day

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A sign being made by a member of Sunrise Watertown, a youth-led environmental organization. A group made up of youth from Watertown will march on Earth Day to push for legislation at the state and local level to benefit the environment. Organizers sent out the following information:

This upcoming Earth Day, Sunrise Watertown plans to take action and lead a march from the middle school, past town hall, and to the square. Their goal is to educate the town on the climate crisis while simultaneously putting pressure on the town council to declare a climate emergency and enact more decisive legislation to combat the crisis. Sunrise Watertown plans to stage a few speeches and read an op-ed which was authored by its own members and will be about the town councils lack of action concerning the climate emergency.

Around Town

Adult Autism Support Center Expands Services to Watertown

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The following information was provided by Lifeworks:

Lifeworks, a nonprofit human services provider that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, announced that it is expanding its community-based autism services to include adult autism support in 40 communities in the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Boston Metro Region, in addition to its existing youth and family autism services in Newton and parts of Norfolk county. Lifeworks will establish an Adult Autism Support Center within its West Roxbury office that will help individuals and families navigate available autism-related services, provide workshops and caregiver training, and participate in enriching social and recreational activities. “It’s a privilege to expand our autism support services in the DDS Metro Boston Region,” said Daniel Sullivan, Vice President of Quality and Community Services at Lifeworks. “We look forward to providing our comprehensive supports and services as we establish new community connections and partnerships.”

As part of this effort, Lifeworks will appoint an Assistant Director of Adult Services, add two new adult autism support specialists, and form new collaborations with advocacy organizations, employers, law enforcement and other community partners. Lifeworks has a long history of providing autism supports and its Family Autism Center based at its headquarters in Westwood has grown to serve nearly 1,000 individuals in the Newton/South Norfolk area. Under its new DDS contract, Lifeworks will now provide Adult Autism Support Center services in the following DDS areas:

• Greater Boston – Boston, Brookline, Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop

• Charles River West – Belmont, Cambridge, Somerville, Waltham, Watertown

• Middlesex West – Ashland, Dover, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Natick, Northborough, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Westborough

• Newton/South Norfolk – Canton, Dedham, Foxborough, Medfield, Millis, Needham, Newton, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Wrentham

Lifeworks will now support the entire age range of individuals with autism: the family program supports children and youths and the adult program supports those ages 18 and older.