Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/author/guest-writer/page/121/)
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.”
The Watertown Police Department is still looking for a few recruits to attend a Community Police Academy that kicks off on March 26. The Police will also hold the first in a series of neighborhood meetings at St. James Church.
The Watertown Police provided the following announcements:
Community Police Academy
WHEN? From March 26 to April 30, every Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Topics will Include:
• Roles and Responsibilities of Detective, Patrol, & Traffic Operations. • Our School Resource Officers and Community Policing Initiatives. • The Legal Issues that shape law enforcement.
Check out the upcoming events presented by the Charles River Regional Chamber. Webinar: Leadership Succession Planning – Good Governance for Sustainable Nonprofits
Date: Tues. March 26
Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
Cost: $15
Description:
This virtual event, led by Nanette Fridman, founder of Effect Collective, will explore the important governance responsibilities of professional and volunteer succession planning. The Charles River Regional Chamber serves business professionals who work/live in Needham, Newton, Watertown, Wellesley, and the surrounding communities. Link: https://charlesriverchamber.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/4rkmKXOP?mode=AttendeeTitle:
Young Professionals Happy Hour at Oak n’Barrel (In-Person)
Date: Tues. March 26
Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: $10 – all proceeds will go towards Reach: Beyond Domestic Violence nonprofit
Description:
Join the young professionals group for an evening of networking to support a great cause!
The following information was provided by the Mosesian Center for the Arts:
Registration has opened for spring classes for youth and adults in visual and performing arts at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, and registration continues for summer youth programs. A call for art for a spring exhibition is also open. Visual and Performing Arts Classes
Mosesian Arts offers over thirty performing and visual arts classes for children, teens, and adults. Visual arts classes include painting, drawing, printmaking, and mixed media for adults, and fiber arts, comics, and introductory classes for young artists. Classes in the performing arts include acting, voice, improv, and technical theater. The low-cost Visual Narratives program has also begun a new session in the Aging Creatively Initiative for adults age 55 and older, funded in part by the Marshall Home Fund.
The following announcement was provided by the Historical Society of Watertown:
The Historical Society of Watertown & The Watertown Free Public Library Present: “Jordan Marsh: New England’s Largest Store,” a slide show and talk by Anthony Sammarco on Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 2 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library – Watertown Savings Bank Room, 123 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472. Come join us as Anthony Sammarco reveals the fascinating history of Boston’s beloved Jordan Marsh. Jordan Marsh opened its first store in 1851 on Milk Street in Boston selling assorted dry goods. Do you remember the blueberry muffins and the Enchanted Village? Referred to as the “Balzac of Boston History” by the Boston Globe, Anthony Mitchell Sammarco is a noted historian and author of over seventy books on the history and development of Boston, and he lectures widely on the history and development of his native city.
Watertown’s Grace Chapel, 525 Main St., announced it will host an Easter Egg Hunt for kids of all ages on Saturday, March 23 at 2 p.m.
Grace Chapel sent out the following information:
Hop on over to Grace Chapel Watertown’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt! Kids of all ages are invited to hunt for eggs, jump in a bounce house, get their faces painted, and make spring crafts. Capture some cute photos at our photo booth area, and meet and mingle with other families in the community while your kids are entertained. This fun family event is free and open to the public, but don’t forget to register!
See you and your egg-cited little ones on March 23! Click here to register
Rain date is Saturday, March 30.
Jan Singer, left, the former Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation, discussed how the Foundation responded to food insecurity during the Pandemic with journalists Maya Shwayder and Charlie Breitrose. (Photo by Dan Hogan / WCA-TV)
The following announcement was provided by Watertown Cable Access Television:
In cooperation with the Watertown News and thanks to a generous grant from the Watertown Community Foundation, Watertown Cable News is producing a series of videos chronicling issues of hunger and food insecurity in the community. In part 1 of the series, we talk to a number of different stakeholders in the community from the Food Pantry, Famers’ Market, Wayside, and Community Foundation to find out how many people are struggling and where the gaps in service lie. Accompanying this series are articles written by WCN news anchor and local journalist Maya Shwayder as well as Watertown News Editor Charlie Breitrose. Read the Articles
Part 1: Watertown’s Hidden Problem: Food Insecurity Among Us
Part 2: Hunger Hits Home: A Watertown Teenager’s Struggle to Feed Herself
Part 3: Hunger in Watertown: Task Force Tackles Social Needs, Tries to Fills Gaps Left by State, Local Programs
Part 4: Through Pandemics & Collapsed Ceilings, the Watertown Food Pantry Stays Open
Part 5: Filling the Watertown’s Free Fridge is a Community Effort
Part 6: Food Insecurity in Watertown: Hunger is a Multi-Faceted Problem — It Won’t Magically Go Away
Roundtable Discussion
On February 12th, WCN and the Watertown News produced a live roundtable discussion at the Mosesian Center for the Arts to hear from representatives from the city, Food Pantry, Watertown Housing Authority, and Wayside to dive further into these issues.
By Clyde YoungerFormer Watertown Council President
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 I attended the meeting of the Sub-Committee on Rules and Ordinances in support of a petition signed by over 200 residents. Those signing the petition were requesting consideration of adding One (1) additional minute on the two (2) Public Forums in order to allow a resident additional time, if required, to complete their plea. As an alumnus of the Watertown Council, I was dumbfounded to hear some of the discussion with one of the Councilors saying we give them four minutes when other communities give none. We do not give the people time; they give us the opportunity to represent them. Every Councilor I served with understood this.